Digital resource bringing the library experience into classrooms celebrated

South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture Libraries has been recognised at the 2026 Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) Awards for creating an imaginative digital resource bringing the library experience into classrooms.

The South Lanarkshire service won the inaugural Jacqueline Geekie Award for Excellence in Digital Innovation at the SLIC showcase and AGM at The Barracks in Stirling this afternoon (Friday 6 November) for Oxford & Osbourne’s Galactic Library Adventure - an interactive comedy film designed to help primary school pupils experience a library class visit when travel to a branch is not possible.

The annual awards, judged by an independent panel led by SLIC Chair Alan Clarke, alongside guest judges Garrett Baylor Stell, a journalist with The Herald’s specialist education team, and Susan Calcluth, Scotland Lead for the National Year of Reading 2026, celebrate library teams and projects that have enhanced learning, wellbeing and community engagement through pioneering staff-driven initiatives. 

This year’s awards also mark the launch of the Jacqueline Geekie Award for Excellence in Digital Innovation, recognising individuals or teams who embody the creativity, collaboration and encouragement of the late Jacqueline Geekie, a valued colleague and digital pioneer within Scotland’s library community.

Featuring two alien puppet characters, the South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture Libraries 13-minute film introduces pupils to library membership, borrowing and different types of books. Accompanied by classroom activities and resources differentiated for P1–P7, it offers schools a reusable introduction to libraries while helping remove geographical and financial barriers to access. The project was produced in-house using a digital media kit funded by SLIC and developed digital production skills among frontline library staff.

SLIC Chair Alan Clarke said: “The Jacqueline Geekie Award celebrates the legacy of a much-loved colleague whose creativity, generosity and encouragement helped others build confidence and ambition around digital innovation. South Lanarkshire Libraries’ winning project reflects that spirit, using digital media in an imaginative and accessible way to address a real barrier to library access.”

Judge Susan Calcluth added: “An engaging, wonderfully scripted response to a real access challenge, this project combines creativity, comedy and digital innovation to reach children who might otherwise miss out on a library visit.”

Moray Libraries was also highly commended for its Digital Learning Team’s connected programme, which creates pathways from initial digital engagement to skills, qualifications, employability and enterprise. Activities include digital learning sessions, community outreach, esports and business support, with measurable outcomes including accredited qualifications and increased digital confidence.

Midlothian Library Service was named Team of the Year for its whole-service approach to developing libraries as community hubs, while the National Library of Scotland took home the Project Excellence Award for Experiences of Rain, an intercultural project exploring shared heritage through creativity. 

The annual SLIC Awards are open to all SLIC member libraries, including public library services, further and higher education libraries, and specialist libraries across Scotland. The winners received a trophy and cash prize in recognition of their outstanding achievements in library service delivery and project innovation.

For more information, visit scottishlibraries.org/funding/the-slic-awards/