A Dudley librarian has been declared librarian of the year by the Romantic Novelists Association.

Dudley Library Manager, Sharon Whitehouse, won Librarian of the Year at the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s annual Industry Awards for 2022.

The awards celebrate the hard work and talent of any person, group or organisation who has championed the broad genre of romantic fiction in a positive way. Sharon was recognised for her work promoting romantic fiction and writers. Most recently she worked with authors to provide talks for library users across the borough, all of which were really well attended and received. Councillor Laura Taylor-Childs, cabinet member responsible for libraries, said:

"I’m delighted that Sharon’s enthusiasm and commitment have been recognised. All of our staff work incredibly hard but it’s lovely to see an individual being recognised for going above and beyond.

"Library events are so important as they support authors, promote reading and bring in new users to enjoy a library experience. My heartfelt congratulations to Sharon on her well deserved award.

Sharon is the Library Manager for Dudley and Gornal libraries where she organises library events and has arranged numerous author talks, ghost story evenings, local theatre performances, and recently divination and palm reading evenings. She added:

"I was delighted to discover I had been nominated for the Romantic Novelist’s Association Librarian of the Year Award and absolutely thrilled to be announced the winner.

"I am grateful to Joanna Toye, well-known Author and TV and Radio scriptwriter, for nominating me for this award following two tours of successful author talks at Dudley Libraries.

"I feel very proud that such a prestigious organisation as the RNA has chosen me to be their Librarian of the Year. Their focus is to raise the profile of romantic fiction and support authors of the genre. As Librarians, we strive to make a difference to people’s lives in our local communities.

"We can only achieve this together, so I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of all my colleagues at Dudley Libraries and GLL. I am sharing the honour of the award with them as they all deserve the recognition too."

The awards have been held for the past eight years and are highly respected in the UK publishing industry. The finalists are nominated by the full and probationary membership of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, with a panel of independent judges selecting the shortlists.

For more information about the Romantic Novelists’ Association, you can visit their website at romanticnovelistsassociation.org.