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Previous Bookbug Hero Award winners

The Bookbug Hero Award celebrates the fantastic work of those who use Bookbug to change the lives of the children, families and communities they work with.

2023

Janice Middleton (winner)

Janice is an integral part of the island community and has gone above and beyond to reach out and introduce new families to Bookbug on the Isle of Bute. She takes every opportunity to promote the benefits of Bookbug and fully appreciates the difference that stories, songs and rhymes can make to families with young children.

Janice regularly tours the island making short Bookbug videos that are shown on the library social media. So wide is her reach that visiting families from the USA and Canada have come into the library and attended her Bookbug Sessions. An inspiring team leader, Janice has been mentoring library colleagues on the islands of Bute and Tiree to giving them the confidence to return to delivering their own Bookbug Sessions post-Covid. Janice goes out of her way to welcome new families from Syria and Ukraine to the Island and the library, running special welcome Bookbug sessions and ordering in book stock in their home language. She runs regular storytelling sessions in the library with adults with learning difficulties and autism, creating craft activities for them in association with the books. Janice is an undeniable Bookbug Hero! 

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Audrey Conlin (highly commended)

Childrens' Librarian, Strathaven Library, South Lanarkshire

Audrey has been a well-loved member of the Strathaven library rural community for over 26 years. Audrey creates a welcoming and fun atmosphere in her Bookbug Sessions and provides a programme of activities for families in the library throughout the year. Audrey is a true ambassador of the Bookbug programme.

Duncan MacNeil (highly commended)

Gaelic Development Officer, Argyll and Bute

Duncan has been delivering Gaelic Bookbug Sessions for over 8 years introducing children and their parents to the Gaelic language. Many of the children, inspired by a general interest in the language, have gone onto attend Gaelic Medium schools. Duncan's passion for Gaelic and Bookbug shines through in his sessions.

Allison Keys (highly commended)

Health Care Support Worker, Speech and Language Team, NHS Lanarkshire

Allison uses Bookbug to enrich the lives of families she supports in the Speech and Language Therapy department, giving parents the confidence to use books and songs to develop speech, language and communication skills with their children. Allison's positive and friendly approach helps families of children who need additional support and struggle with larger groups to engage in Bookbug activities and increase their children's love of stories and rhymes.  

Aimie Neilson (highly commended)

Early Years Practitioner, Kirkstyle ELC, South Lanarkshire

Aimie has embraced Bookbug within the Early Learning Centre ensuring that every child has the opportunity to engage with books. Aimie promotes literacy across the community and encourages parents to read with their children and establish a bedtime routine with a story, song and rhyme. As a result parents have reported that their children ask for books and stories more and their vocabulary has improved.

2022

Ian Keane (winner)

Over the last ten years, Ian has welcomed many families to Bookbug Sessions in Clackmannanshire. He arranges and co-ordinates the programme across five different library branches and works with local families, listening to feedback and incorporating new ideas that are raised. Ian's enthusiasm for Bookbug is genuine and contagious, and colleagues have praised how he engages children with songs and books.

Ian's work has a huge impact on children and families. He puts them at ease, motivating them to return week after week. Ian also encourages parents and guardians to mix, and for some this has been a lifeline and makes them feel less lonely or isolated. Some of the attendees do not have English as a first language, and the Bookbug Sessions allow them a fun and relaxing way to meet others and work on their language skills. Ian has also been praised for making his Bookbug Sessions inclusive for wheelchair users, making sure that all attendees are able to take part.

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Margaret Clark (highly commended)

Senior Health Promotion Officer, NHS Lanarkshire

Margaret has inspired, motivated and enthused colleagues, practitioners and families to engage with Bookbug, ensuring children get the best start in life. Margaret's passion and commitment to Bookbug is instrumental in the development of the programme in Lanarkshire.

Amanda Reid (highly commended)

Children's Practitioner, Family Social Work Services, Aberdeen City Council

Amanda is an experienced Bookbug practitioner who integrates Bookbug into her work with the most vulnerable children and families, helping to build attachment and inject fun into the parent and child relationship. Amanda shows compassion and enthusiasm in supporting families to sing, rhyme and read together.

Isobel Allen (highly commended)

Library Team Leader, Midlothian Library, Midlothian Council

With over 30 years experience working for Midlothian Libraries, Isobel worked tirelessly to bring Bookbug to families throughout the pandemic. She was the first member of staff to deliver online Bookbug Sessions when libraries were closed. Isobel then went on to deliver the first in-person Bookbug Sessions when the libraries re-opened creating a lifeline for families and enhancing the community she works in.

2021

Kylie Watt (winner)

Kylie's work and use of Bookbug helped children transition back into the nursery environment as they returned from a prolonged Covid-19 lockdown. It also helped make parents feel involved and valued. She delivered reading sessions in small groups, using books to introduce and consolidate learning objectives such as exploring and recognising rhyme, counting syllables in words, letter recognition, story sequences and retelling the story. The stories also linked in with health and wellbeing, supporting children in their return to nursery. Kylie's sessions explored emotions and feelings to enable children to express their own during a difficult transitional period of settling into the new routine of Covid-19 nursery life.

Kylie was praised for using Bookbug as a consistent point of involvement and contact for parents to build a bridge between the home and nursery setting. She has equipped parents with information on how to use Bookbug Bags well and spend quality reading and bonding time with their children. She also maintained online communication with parents during the pandemic.

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David Murray (highly commended)

Mobile Library Driver at South Ayrshire Libraries (South Ayrshire)

David impacted every baby and toddler in South Ayrshire as he volunteered to deliver the Bookbug Bags throughout lockdown. David's initiative and willingness to help meant South Ayrshire was able to meet its commitment to deliver Bookbug Bags to every child throughout lockdown.

Shona Macmillan and Lindy Cameron Saunders (highly commended)

Development Officer and Gaelic Development Officer at Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn (Western Isles)

Shona and Lindy went above and beyond what was expected of them delivering English and Gaelic Bookbug Sessions to families living in rural areas on the Isle of Lewis. Mairi Graham, parent said: 'Shona and Lindy's sessions were a lifesaver for us during lockdown, having just had a newborn, it was a great activity to keep both a baby and two year entertained.'

Nina Greenoak (highly commended)

Bookbug Session Leader Volunteer (West Dunbartonshire)

Nina is a mum who at the start of lockdown set up a Bookbug Zoom Facebook group delivering Bookbug Sessions to a community of over 270 families on a weekly basis. Nina's enthusiasm and encouragement provided invaluable support to families with songs, stories and rhymes for them to enjoy together at home.

2020

Myra Mains (winner)

Myra, Senior Library Assistant for Young People's Services, was described as the ‘smiling face of Inverclyde libraries’. She was one of the first in her community to complete Bookbug training back in 2011, and since then has been programming and delivering sessions to their youngest citizens and their families, as well as mentoring and supporting other staff to do likewise and creating partnerships with other groups in the community. Myra has helped 6,053 Bookbug Sessions to take place in Inverclyde, sharing the benefits of stories, songs and rhymes with 184,073 children and parents.

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Kirstie Burns (highly commended)

Volunteer Bookbug Session Leader in Renfrewshire

Kirstie was recognised for delivering Bookbug Sessions in her local library, which are adored by all the families who attend. Kirstie's passion and enthusiasm for Bookbug has encouraged family bonding and created a love of stories, songs and rhymes for all the children who attend.

Ishbel Campbell (highly commended)

Volunteer Gaelic Bookbug Session Leader

Ishbel was praised for changing the lives of families on the island of Tiree through the delivery of Gaelic Bookbug Sessions in her spare time. Ishbel has brought families out of social isolation to engage with each other and create new friendships while enabling children to experience a new language through the use of stories, songs and rhymes.

Jodie Reeser (highly commended)

Family Support and Kinship Team Manager, Social Work in East Ayrshire

Jodie was instrumental in instilling the Bookbug ethos into the whole Children and Families team in her social work department in East Ayrshire. Jodie's enthusiastic and positive approach encouraged parents in the most difficult of circumstances to engage in stories, songs and rhymes with their children in a fun and nurturing manner.