The David Vaisey Trust’s 2026 shortlisting event brought together trustees, supporters, librarians and guests at Llanthony Secunda Priory in Gloucester for an uplifting celebration of the power of reading and libraries across the county.

Dr Debby Thacker, Chair of Trustees, opened the event by welcoming guests and reflecting on the Trust’s growing community. She paid tribute to Sue Emson, who died earlier this year, thanked outgoing administrator Pat Lipinski for her many years of service, and welcomed Lucinda Brocklehurst, who will provide administrative support and help strengthen the Trust’s social media presence. Debby also thanked the Trust’s partners, including Read for Good, Read With Me, Cheltenham Festivals and the Bodleian Library, and announced that the Honourable Company of Gloucestershire will be donating a cup for this year’s winning school library.

Guests then heard from two of last year’s winners, whose stories showed the difference a David Vaisey Trust award can make. Vicky Giles, from Coleford Library, described how funding helped create a welcoming library at the new cottage hospital in Cinderford. With carefully chosen books, including large print editions and audiobooks, the library is supporting patients, staff and visiting families, while offering older patients gentle mental stimulation that research suggests can help protect cognitive health and reduce the risk of decline in later life. There are hopes that the idea could be extended to Gloucestershire’s other cottage hospitals.

Amber Barker-Harold, from Farmor’s School, spoke just as powerfully about the impact of the award on a rural school facing continuing funding pressures. The project helped raise the profile of reading, gave students more agency over their choice of books and introduced many to the joy of reading for the first time. A new Manga collection has proved particularly popular, while audiobooks and dyslexia-friendly titles have helped make the library more accessible to the whole school community.

Special guest Jamila Gavin, the acclaimed children’s author and long-time supporter of the Trust, spoke insightfully about the challenges facing librarians today, from limited funding to the competing pull of phones, computers and social media. She also reflected on publishers’ concerns about the decline in readership after the age of 12, and the importance of books reaching readers across cultures and communities.

 

The 2026 Library Shortlist

Chair of Judges and author John Dougherty thanked all the libraries that had submitted applications and encouraged those not shortlisted to seek feedback from the judges with a view to applying again in future.

County Libraries

• Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Library: Paws for Reading, a Prestbury Library scheme offering a safe, encouraging space for those who struggle with reading by inviting them to read to rescue dogs.
• Forest Libraries: Read and Ride, supporting local preschool groups to visit local libraries.
• Tewkesbury Cluster: Team Manga Meet-up, fostering teen engagement with reading.
• Wotton-under-Edge: Keepers Library Link, improving access by bringing books to people who are unable to visit the library themselves.

School Libraries

• The Altus School: creating a lending library within an alternative provision school supporting children facing significant challenges.
• Cirencester Kingshill School: a Manga project, including a mini Comic-Con.
• Newnham St Peter’s School: an outdoor reading scheme, complete with shelter.
• Thomas Keble School: a buddy reading scheme in which older students mentor younger readers.

 

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony taking place at Cheltenham Literature Festival on 11 October. All long-listed libraries who were not shortlisted have received £100 to spend on books, ensuring that every application brings new reading opportunities to communities across Gloucestershire.