The Yoto Carnegies are governed by CILIP, supported by CILIP’s Youth Libraries Group, and managed by the Awards Team.
Jake Hope is the Awards Executive, a post which supports CILIP in leading the strategic development of the Awards. Jake is an experienced children’s book and reading development consultant, named as one of the UK’s top librarians of the future in the National Love Libraries Campaign. He has written extensively on children’s reading development and librarianship, contributing chapters to numerous books, producing the SLA publication on diversity and inclusion and previews for The Bookseller. He is the author of the recently published book on visual literacy, Seeing Sense, (Facet Publishing, 2020). Jake enjoys working creatively, has strong network links across the book trade and reading sector and is passionate about children’s books and promoting a love of reading and writing with young people and their families.
Growing up I was obsessed with the idea of smugglers, boarding school, running away to join the circus or starting a theatre in an abandoned building. Children in books had such exciting lives and I was right there with them.
My first library was little more than a shelved broom cupboard, but I loved it nonetheless. Even carpeting the cement floor with the remnants that had been helpfully stored there!
That was 30 years ago. Most of the years in between have been spent as a librarian working with children and young people, mainly in schools for the Education Service. When my children were young, I made a move to Queen’s University Belfast, which allowed more flexibility; initially working evenings and weekends before settling very happily in Special Collections for several years. It was an incredible experience, surrounded by book, map and manuscript collections dating back as far as the Twelfth Century. My first love will always be school libraries, however and I am now librarian for Victoria College Belfast where I work with pupils from the age of 3 up to 18. Reading stories, taking classes and making the library a welcoming space, creating a place that is a little bit magical; all the better to inspire and encourage imagination.
I had the great pleasure to be a judge in 2018-19 and 2021 and I am excited and honoured to be Chair of Judges for 2024.
Mackenzie joined CILIP in 2021, and works to ensure the effective planning, delivery and growth of the Awards in partnership with the wider CILIP team and external contractors.
With degrees in Communications and Museum Studies, she has previously worked in programmes and project management in several archives and museums, and across the wider charitable sector in the UK and Canada.
If you are interested in supporting the awards or becoming a Judge for the Carnegies, we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch at carnegies.executive@CILIP.org.uk and we will send you more information.