Five fabulous libraries run by charitable social enterprise GLL are finalists in The Bookseller’s ‘Library of the Year’ award for 2025.

Entries from all over the UK have been whittled down, with finalists selected for their innovation in developing projects that promote reading and support the needs of local people.

GLL’s five nominees are –

St Paul’s Cray Library – London Borough of Bromley

Eltham Library – Royal Borough of Greenwich

Roehampton Library – London Borough of Wandsworth

Wandsworth Town Library – London Borough of Wandsworth

Lye Library - Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

The Bookseller runs the award in partnership with publisher Dorling Kindersley and charity The Reading Agency.

Karen Napier MBE is CEO of The Reading Agency. She comments, “What particularly stands out is how these libraries have become true community hubs by working so collaboratively with local partners. These finalists represent the very best of what modern libraries can achieve, proving that they remain essential, dynamic spaces of learning, creativity and community engagement, with reading at their heart.”

Rebecca Gediking, Head of Libraries for GLL, adds, “To have five of the libraries that we operate shortlisted for the Library of the Year Award is a huge honour.  We are proud of all of our libraries, grateful to our partners and of course our passionate and creative library staff. Together, we support communities to thrive with innovative and imaginative approaches to champion reading and to deliver services that meet the changing needs of our library users."

The winners will be announced in May.

Charitable social enterprise GLL runs libraries in London, Lincolnshire and Dudley under the ‘Better’ brand.