Hertford Library Team Nominated for Vice-Chancellor’s Award

20 March 2024

We are thrilled to announce that Hertford’s library team has been shortlisted for the prestigious Vice-Chancellor’s Award, in the ‘Support for Students’ category. One of just a handful of college teams to be nominated across all categories, the library team is commended for going above and beyond in the last year, which required a major focus on the new library project at the same time as providing continuity of service to current students. They have done so with a huge amount of commitment, compassion, attention to detail, and good humour.

Working on the new space has involved extensive consultation, with readers, with sector professionals, with the Oxford library community, and with student groups. Work with disability groups to learn more about acknowledging neuro-diversity in the library space, and with activists on decolonising subject categories has run alongside the practicalities of door openings, shared facilities, and future-proof tech. Drawing on student views and their own professional expertise (including Assistant Librarian Katherine Knight’s ongoing librarianship Masters course at UCL), the library team have been able to direct the new designs and translate high-level architectural ambition into supporting the lived experience of a range of Hertford students, particularly those coming from schools and neighbourhoods without library facilities.

However, this isn’t much comfort for the students who experience the disruption of the build and have left before the benefits can be reaped. The library team have done everything to make the temporary library space workable, familiar and supportive, from bringing the height-adjustable desks and phone-chargers (wrapped round cuddly toys so they don’t get lost) to sewing stag head curtains. They even run a holiday creche for student houseplants. The title of the nomination: ‘Hertford Library – the heart of student support’ couldn’t be more apt!

The Vice-Chancellor’s Awards recognise the achievements and celebrate the success of staff across the University. There were 250 award entries across the 11 categories this year, with 1,500 individuals included in the nominations. The full shortlist is available on the awards webpage.

The winners and highly commended nominees will be announced at a ceremony at the Sheldonian Theatre in May.

The new college library will better meet the diverse needs of our students across their college career, will provide spaces to extend their induction and academic support, from open days through to graduation, and will offer inspiring and enabling facilities for them to achieve their potential.  This is by far the largest capital project the college has embarked on within living memory, and will allow the college to offer state-of-the-art study facilities to all of its students. To support this important project, visit our library fundraising page.

University staff are invited to the Awards Showcase, which takes place 7-9 May at the Weston Library. Find out more here.