SCONUL is seeking expressions of interest from colleagues who would be like to be part of the judging panel for the Library Design Awards. There are five places available on the panel and we are seeking library directors or deputies who have an interest in, and experience of, effective academic library design.

The Library Design Awards have been running since 1973 and are held every three years. The aim is to encourage good practice in library planning and design and to celebrate outstanding examples of cutting-edge design. Awards are given on the basis of the functional design of buildings rather than purely architectural merit.  For more information on previous awards, please see https://www.sconul.ac.uk/page/sconul-library-design-award

The call for applications for the award will be in September, but the panel will convene during summer 2018 in order to prepare the call. After that, the commitment of panel members will be to undertake the shortlisting of applications and attend a shortlisting meeting in December 2018. We expect to shortlist three or four libraries in each of the two categories within the Library Design Awards (buildings over 2,000 square metres, and buildings under 2,000 square metres), and the panel will be divided into two sub-panels in order to judge one of the categories. Each panel member will be expected to attend visits to all the libraries shortlisted in one of these categories during March and April 2019, and to attend a final judging meeting at the end of April 2019.

In selecting our panel members, we will be seeking representation from across the SCONUL community, both geographically and from different types of institution. If you are interested in being part of the panel please submit a short statement highlighting your areas of experience and engagement in library design and how you would both contribute and benefit to the Library Design Awards panel.  Statements should not be more than 300 words and can be sent as emails to ann.rossiter@sconul.ac.uk. The deadline for receipt of expressions of interest is 15th May. Members of the SCONUL Transformation group will then select a representative panel and applicants will be informed of the outcome by the end of May. The panel will be chaired by Leo Appleton, Director of Library Services at Goldsmiths, University of London and the SCONUL Board will be represented on the panel by Judith Keene, University Librarian at the University of Worcester.

For further information about the awards process and the commitment involved, please contact Leo Appleton at L.Appleton@gold.ac.uk.