Margaret Pemberton - Chair of Judges, 2010
Librarian, School Library Service, Bristol

I am a long serving librarian who started work in the early 1970s, as a children's librarian in Hampshire. Since then I have worked in a variety of authorities and am now the librarian for Bristol School Library Service. My links with YLG go back to my student days, but I have been involved at a committee level for most of the last 10 years, both at regional and national level. In fact for the last six years I have been exhibition manager at conference, which has been a great pleasure. It is safe to say that being national chair and looking after the CKG judges is the high spot of my career.

On a personal level, I am married with two grown up sons. I have lived in various parts of the country and also Portugal and Cyprus, as my husband spent 23 years in the Royal Air Force and we definitely moved around quite a bit. We are now safely settled in the West Country and enjoy the countryside and the sea as well as the varied cultural life. For the past three years I have been involved with the Bath Festival of Children's Literature and this has added to the friends I have in the area. I have also been involved in setting up the "Centurion book award", which is awarded by secondary schools in the Bath area and which goes from strength to strength.

I have a deep personal commitment to encouraging children to read and feel that with the wealth of writing talent available today there really is something out there for everyone. Our task as librarians is to help the readers find the right kind of book for them and in order to do this we need to read, talk and enthuse to others about books. I can't wait to talk about this year's books - but only after the announcement in June.

Debbie Mynott
Manager, Stories from the Web, Birmingham Central Library

I currently have my dream job running a web based reading and creative writing project for children and young people. Stories from the Web is a great site which links children and young people up with authors, illustrators and books through their local library. I have previously worked as a children's librarian and as a lecturer in Information Studies. I taught lots of different subjects but my favourite was always children's literature. I also did a lot of my own writing about children's books and libraries and had that published as well. I always knew I wanted to be a children's librarian and have always enjoyed the various jobs I have had but it is fantastic to be a judge because it means I get to read so many amazing books, including picture books which I don't usually get a chance to look at. For the last few years I have also run my own publishing company. So as you can see I love books: reading them and writing them!

Tracey Acum
Community Librarian, West Hull

The first 10 years of my career were spent working with teenagers as the Librarian in a sixth form college in Hull. I then became a Community Librarian for Hull City Council Library Service, a role I have now been in for seven years. This means that I work with a wide range of people, young and old. I enjoy the variety, but particularly enjoy working with children and families.

My work includes delivering Chatterbooks reading groups, story times, and class visits for schools. I also take part in the selection of children's books for the library service in Hull. I am on the working group that runs the Hull Children's Book Awards which involves me reading and reviewing children's books, as well as leading discussion groups prior to, and as part of the city's voting event. What with this and my monthly reading group for adults my pile of books waiting to be read never seems to get any smaller, but the reward comes through finding new favourites every year.

I am Treasurer of the Yorkshire and the Humber branch of CILIP's Youth Libraries Group. This provides a valuable insight into the library world outside of Hull, and I have made friends across the region in the process. I am really looking forward to the experience of being a judge for the Carnegie and Greenaway Medals. It will be a challenge, but an enjoyable one I'm sure.

Sioned Jacques
Assistant Librarian, North East Wales Schools Library Service

I have worked at North East Wales Schools Library Service for the last 12 years ever since graduating in Information and Library Studies at Aberystwyth and have responsibility for book selection for the Mobile and literacy collections. I've always been interested in children books especially picture books and have taken part over the years in many regional selections for the awards and enjoyed the experience immensely. Over the last two years I have been one of the judges for the Tir Na-n-og Welsh Children's Book Prize. I look forward very much to the challenge of judging this years awards.

Sean Edwards
Children's and Youth Libraries Manager, London Borough of Haringey

I started work at CABI (Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux International) Institute of Parasitology in 1986 in St Albans and have always been a book worm. I have specialised in children's work for the past 19 years and in the last five years I have managed the Children's Library Service in the London Borough of Haringey.

I am passionate about all aspects of children's library work and have enjoyed meeting many authors and publishers over this time. I met J.K. Rowling in 1998 when she was presented with a runner-up prize at the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway ceremony - you can see my head in clips of the event. I am looking forward to participating in great debates over this year's CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards.

Mrs Lesley Martin, MA MCLIP
Librarian, Head of PSHCE (KS4), Culford School

Since chartering in 1986 have worked in a variety of roles including college, school and public libraries and have a lot of experience with young people. I have been in my current post as Librarian at an independent school in Suffolk since 2001, working with pupils from Reception to Sixth Form, and have been shadowing the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals with Years 4-8 for several years. I also review books regularly for the School Librarian journal. I have been an active member of the Independent Schools Librarians Group (South East) since 2001 and am a School Library Association Board Member.

I am a firm believer in the value of reading for pleasure and love to see the excitement on the children's faces when a book Ôclicks' for them.

Kate Lister
Customer Service Librarian, Market Harborough Library

I have worked in public libraries for the last seven years and undertook an MA in Libray and Information Management in 2005. My current role as Customer Service Librarian at Market Harborough Library, which I have been doing for the last four years, involves contact with children from 0-18 years on a daily basis from tiny babies at our weekly Wriggly Readers, work with primary aged children via school visits to supporting my monthly teen reading group.

I am also on the East Midlands CILIP Youth Libraries Group committee where I have just handed over the role as Treasurer to become Vice-Chair.

Julia Hale
Young People's Services Manager, Plymouth Libraries

I've been working in children's library services for the last 10 years and am currently Young People's Services Manager in Plymouth.

This is my second and final term as South West judge and having got my feet wet last year I can't wait to dive in again. A highlight of the experience is visiting as many shadowing groups as I can across the region. It's been great to witness the commitment and enthusiasm of teachers and school librarians in promoting the awards to their pupils from ages six up to sixteen. The insight and enthusiasm of the children and young people for the shortlisted titles belies the notion that they don't/can't/won't read for pleasure. Just take a look at their reviews on the website!

Eilidh Watson
Librarian, Dollar Academy

I finished my Masters degree in Librarianship in 2008 following an Honours Degree in English studies, and began my first professional post in August the same year. I am now in my second year at Dollar Academy, one of the largest private schools in Scotland.

I have always been an avid reader - my Gran gave my first book when I was three days old and I have loved books ever since. I am very excited about being a judge for the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals. I am certain it will be an interesting two years!

Stephen Dodd
Children and Young People’s Librarian
Sunderland Library Service

I have been working for Sunderland Library Service in various roles for eight years, including as a Library Assistant and Community Librarian. My current post as Children and Young People’s Librarian has allowed me to share my passion for reading and libraries with children, young people and families.

I organise and manage a variety of events and projects designed to promote reading and library services, and engage with children and young people. In fact it is the varied workload that makes being a Children’s Librarian so rewarding. After a hard day at the office running reading and radio clubs, dressing up, playing computer games, meeting famous authors, visiting schools and selecting stock there is nothing I enjoy more than sitting down with my three children and reading them a really good story.

Like many colleagues who promote reading to children (and to the many reluctant readers out there) I believe that anyone who says they don’t like reading just hasn’t found the right book yet. Connecting children and young people with the right book is a fascinating challenge and the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway award is vital in highlighting some of the real gems of children’s literature. I am looking forward to being involved in the exciting process of uncovering this year’s gems.

Jacob Hope
Children and Young People’s Services administration assistant
Young people’s Services

I’ve worked for the Lancashire County Library and Information Service for five years where I have co-ordinated their own children’s book award. In 2006 I was named one of the ten ‘Love Libraries’ top 21st Century Librarians. I have an MA in International Children’s Literature, have sat on the Committee of International Bureau of Books for Youth (IBBY), acted as a member of the reading panel for the inaugural Times/Chicken House children’s novel competition and am a regular reviewer and commentator on children’s books and publishing.

Rachel Levy
Principal Librarian- Children’s and Audio Visual
Sutton Central Library, London Borough of Sutton

I qualified as a librarian in 2002 and have been fortunate enough to have been able to specialise as a children and young people’s librarian ever since. My current position is as Principal Librarian - Children’s and Audio Visual for the London Borough of Sutton, managing both services across nine libraries and a mobile service.

I am a great believer in personal professional development and have been a member of the CILIP National Youth Libraries Group committee for three years. I am also the current chair of the Youth Libraries Group: South East. The most enjoyable part of this role has been running two regional Carnegie and Kate Greenaway voting days. It has been a wonderful experience to see all levels of library staff have the opportunity to do what they are best at- being passionate about books. We have had some very inspirational authors and illustrators speak at these events, which has helped to give the participants a further insight into the complexities of writing and illustration. I look forward to being able to use these insights to help inform what I know will be very enthusiastic and committed discussions with my fellow judges.