The award, presented by co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Libraries, Lord Graham Tope CBE at a ceremony in London during national Libraries Week, recognises excellence and innovation in library services across the United Kingdom.

Glasgow Libraries received the award for the In-Reach project, developed in partnership with Glasgow Central Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) to provide counselling, support and advice to people affected by homelessness in the city’s Mitchell Library.

Karen Donnelly, business information and Mitchell Library operations manager, said: “Through the In-Reach project, Mitchell Library staff and staff from the Citizens Advice Bureau discovered we were in a unique position to be able to engage with a section of society who are very difficult to reach.

“These are people who might have thought that there was nothing in the library for them. Mitchell Library staff identify those who are potentially at risk in the library to CAB’s In-reach worker who then makes contact and offers the support they need.

“The In-Reach project has taken people off the streets, in some cases found them permanent homes, provided access to benefits they didn’t know they were entitled to, supported them with financial, legal and medical advice, and offered people a warmth, kindness and a safe place to be.”

Glasgow Libraries has received a £4,000 investment from CILIP, the library and information association to continue the innovative work.

Karen added: “Both the Mitchell Library and Citizens Advice Bureau are delighted that this project to support the recurring need for some of the most vulnerable members of society has been recognised by the library and information association.

“We have seen first-hand the positive, life-changing impact that this project has had in Glasgow, and I hope that the In-Reach project provides a model for the wider library community to develop further life-changing initiatives to support people experiencing homelessness across the UK.”

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Chair of Judges, John Vincent, said: “Congratulations to the library team at Mitchell Library. Glasgow Libraries’ work with their Citizens Advice partners targets people in libraries, who may, in other places and other circumstances, be asked to ‘move on’. Here, Glasgow decided to do something positive, and the difference in approach shines through. Library staff are committed to seeing what positive impact the library can have, and also demonstrate an empathetic approach to homeless people – they are library users, after all, and the library and Citizens Advice Bureau have developed tailored, individualised ways of offering information and other practical support.”

Glasgow Libraries was shortlisted alongside libraries from Kirklees and Newcastle.