We’re delighted that the Library has been shortlisted for this year’s FutureBook awards organized by the book industry’s leading trade title The Bookseller. The awards will be announced at the FutureBook conference on 19th November and the Library has been nominated in two categories. In the Events category the Library’s 180th anniversary LitFest – the remarkable online festival that featured 51 speakers including Salmon Rushdie, Sarah Waters and a staged adaption of A Room of One’s Own with Nina Sosanya – is pitched against the Booker Prize, World Book Night, Penguin Talks and the VoyagerCon festival for the top award.

In the Team of the Year category, the Library’s Postal Loans team vies with Penguin Random House and Hachette UK on the final shortlist. Throughout the pandemic, the Postal Loans Team has run an enhanced service that has seen over 22,000 books sent out to members. The team has faced challenging working and travelling conditions during lockdown and at a time when very few Libraries were able to make their collections accessible at all, the service has been hugely appreciated by members.

We’re delighted to have the Library’s events and postal loans recognised in this way and look forward to the 19th!