Libraries shortlisted for another national award
Midlothian Council’s Library Service has been shortlisted for a major national award in recognition of its outstanding work to ensure every child starts life as a library member.
Celebrating innovation and excellence
The service has been named a regional finalist for Library of the Year at the British Book Awards 2026, a significant achievement celebrating innovation and excellence across the UK’s library sector.
More than 400 babies members in 2025
In partnership with the council’s Registrars Service, Midlothian libraries enrolled more than 400 babies in 2025 alone through Every Child a Library Member (ECALM) programme. The initiative enables parents to register their newborns for library membership at the same time as registering the birth—giving children immediate access to books, learning materials and early‑years activities.
Supporting families and improving life chances
Judges praised Midlothian’s ECALM success as “a powerful investment in the readers of tomorrow”, recognising the programme as a model of how local services can work together to support families and improve life chances.
Congratulations to staff
Councillor Dianne Alexander, Midlothian Council’s Cabinet Member for libraries, visited Dalkeith Library to congratulate staff describing the shortlisting as “well‑deserved”.
Free access to books and learning resources
She added: “This recognition couldn’t come at a better time, arriving as we begin Britain’s National Year of Reading. Ensuring every Midlothian child becomes a library member brings enormous benefits. Our libraries provide free access to books and learning resources, but just as importantly they support children’s social and emotional development—promoting talking, singing, reading and play, all of which build vital future skills. Well done to everyone involved, the shortlisting is well-deserved.”
Regional announcement in March
Cllr Alexander also wished the service “every success ahead of the regional announcement on 12 March and the national awards ceremony in May in London.”
Latest shortlisting
This latest achievement adds to a growing list of accolades for Midlothian Council’s Library Service, which won the Scottish Library & Information Council Excellence Award in 2023 and was also shortlisted in 2024. Midlothian Library Service was also last year's regional winner of the British Book Awards.
In the picture
Pictured from left to right are: Midlothian Council's Customer Engagement Manager Annabel Cavaroli, the council's Cabinet Member with responsibility for libraries, Councillor Dianne Alexander, Dalkeith Library's Customer Service Team Leader, Marion Macinnes and Registrar Nicola Docherty.