JANET CARDEN

Biography: Janet was a late developer who took her degree at 47 and went on to do a Post Graduate Certificate in Education before teaching English at Secondary level, where some of her favourite pupils were Gypsy/Travellers. She joined Essex Libraries in January 2004 just in time to help win the CILIP award. Mother of three, her previous work experience includes youth work and teaching assistant in Primary and Secondary schools, and means that she has viewed both successful and failed educational experiences as student, mother, teacher and friend.  

Title: The Journey begins here; a travelling library for a travelling community

Summary: Essex Libraries have been working on Traveller sites since 2001.  This is the story of how we engaged with this marginalised community and how the project has flourished.  Winner of the 2004 Libraries Change Lives Award.