Rebecca Daniels (National Art Library, Victoria & Albert Museum)

The V&A Illustration Awards were established in 1972 and have since become the UK’s most prestigious annual illustration competition. The awards aim to inspire and recognise the very best in book, editorial and student illustration in support of the UK creative industries. Each year the Awards are administered and curated by Information Services staff at the National Art Library with financial support from the Enid Linder Foundation and other sponsors. In previous years, winners have had their work shown in cabinets on the Library landing. Much of the work has subsequently been acquired by the V&A, with some winners also receiving commissions from the Museum. The 2018 display is to occupy a prominent gallery at the heart of the museum, an exciting development which will significantly improve the visibility of the Awards. Correspondingly, a high number of entries have been received and social media posts have attracted over 170,000 views to date.

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To secure success and longevity, library staff have overcome a series of challenges over the years, including addressing bureaucratic processes, reducing a heavy workload, building industry connections (I.e. AOI, Folio Society) and enhancing press coverage. Responsibility for the Awards also requires the development of skillsets not traditionally associated with Librarianship such as curation and event management. In this talk, we will provide a short history of the Awards followed by a discussion of our experience administrating and curating the V&A Illustration Awards 2018. In an age of globalisation and quick technological evolvement, the publishing industry and design practices alike are rapidly changing and it is becoming increasingly difficult to define which publications are eligible for the Awards. We will explain how we have further reviewed current practices, clarified conditions of entry and collaborated with other museum departments in order to support contemporary illustration and inspire future practitioners effectively. Also, looking forward to the 2019 Awards, how the introduction of GDPR and Cyber Essentials has prompted an overhaul of the current online entry system.

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Rebecca Daniels is the Online Services Librarian at the National Art Library and Curator of the Illustration Awards 2018. Prior to starting this role in September 2017, Rebecca completed an MA in Information & Library Management at Northumbria University whilst working at the University for the Creative Arts in Canterbury. Rebecca volunteers for the CILIP member's network in Kent as Communication Officer.