We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the 2025 NSW Library & Information Excellence Award, presented by the ALIA NSW Regional Group. Established in 2024, this annual accolade recognises an individual working in the library and information services sector in New South Wales who has demonstrated outstanding innovation, leadership and impact.
The winner will be announced at the NSW Library Excellence Awards Night & End of Year Networking event on 5 December 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm AEDT at the State Library NSW. This is fantastic opportunity to not only toast the winner and shortlisted candidates but to catch up with peers from across the NSW library community. Registrations are open.
Congratulations to the following shortlisted candidates:
Jacinta Craine - Team Leader Readers & Research, Sutherland Shire Libraries
Jacinta has consistently demonstrated a commitment to inclusion and community support through initiatives that reflect the library’s role in serving all people. She led Sutherland Shire Libraries to become a Dementia Friendly Library in 2019 and has convened the St George and Sutherland Shire Dementia Alliance since 2021. Her program, Connection Café, offers monthly support and social connection for people living with dementia and their carers, attracting over 130 attendees annually, with professional input from Anglicare’s dementia specialists.
To support further engagement, Jacinta developed Memory Kits to help people with dementia and their carers connect meaningfully. She also worked with local Elders to establish the Aboriginal Australian Collection, enhancing visibility of First Nations voices and meeting truth-telling standards.
Jacinta’s commitment to professional development is notable—since 2009 she has overseen 23 external student placements and contributed to sectoral improvement, including helping review Enquiry Completion Rate data collection. Her recent two-year, post-COVID membership drive brought around 700 new members into the library through targeted community outreach.
Sam Figueroa - Specialist (Local Studies), Wollongong City Libraries
Sam Figueroa from Wollongong City Libraries’ Local Studies team led the oral history project Hill 60 Stories, preserving the memories of Aboriginal Traditional Owners and knowledge holders connected to Hill 60 in Port Kembla, NSW. Developed in close partnership with community Elders and Wollongong City Council, it enables visitors to listen on site via QR codes, deepening understanding of Aboriginal connection to this significant place and the impacts of dispossession.
Hill 60 holds deep cultural significance for Dharawal-speaking Aboriginal people, yet their stories have been largely untold in public history. Sam led the project with cultural sensitivity and respect, consulting with Elders, conducting seven oral history interviews, and curating content for the Hill 60 Stories collection. Community contributions of photos and documents enriched the collection, now published online and linked to on-site signage through QR codes. Stories include traditional fishing practices, community life, and reflections on cultural continuity and loss.
The project has had strong impact: Hill 60 Stories has been viewed over 2,500 times, contributed to the Ngaraba-aan Trail signage, strengthened relationships with Aboriginal communities, and was shortlisted for the 2025 National Trust Heritage Awards.
Rubaiyat (Rubi) Howlader - Creative Experience Officer, Burwood Council
Rubi has transformed Burwood Library into a hub for creativity and connection through innovative gaming partnerships. From a chance meeting with a local indie game designer, he co-founded the Burwood Game Club—a quarterly mini gaming convention that brings together players, creators, and local businesses to build community and showcase local talent. The success of this initiative has led to the Saturday Social Board Games program and Game Design Jam 101, a 12-week collaborative course uniting artists, writers, and programmers to create story-driven games.
Through these programs, Rubi has cultivated a vibrant, inclusive space for young adults—particularly those traditionally less engaged with libraries—to connect, collaborate, and explore creative entrepreneurship. His ability to turn simple ideas into sustainable, community-led initiatives demonstrates a rare mix of vision, partnership, and heart, with lasting benefits for wellbeing and social connection in the Burwood community.
Theresa Lock - Library Outreach & Marketing Coordinator, Blue Mountains City Libraries
Thoughtful, strategic, and deeply community-minded, Theresa Lock has been instrumental in promoting and embedding new initiatives such as the Library 2U lockers in remote villages, while directly guiding the expansion of the Home Library Service. Under Theresa’s direction, the Home Library Service has grown 53% in the past year, reflecting her innovation, care, and collaborative mindset that continues to transform Blue Mountains Library. She conceived and now chairs the Cross-Council Events Team, aligning programming across departments, and developed Brain Train, a targeted HSC support initiative that has been enthusiastically embraced by local students.
Theresa’s collaborative partnerships with organisations such as Varuna, WestWords, and Word Travels have brought nationally recognised literary programs to the region, enriching its cultural life. In 2024–2025, her team delivered more than 500 events—a 30% increase—through her strategic, hands-on approach to promotion and community engagement.
Sienna Wagner - Library Programs Officer, Shellharbour City Libraries
Sienna joined Shellharbour City Libraries as Library Programs Officer in 2023 and has significantly elevated the library’s adult programming in just two years. Through creativity, innovation, and strong community connections, Sienna has transformed standard “author talks” into immersive cultural experiences. Her events now feature collaborative elements like museum objects, thematic staging, and conversation-style formats—often enhanced by live SMS Q&A and contributions from other team members.
Under her leadership, author visits now attract 100–300 participants per event, bringing in leading novelists and public figures like Candice Fox, Peter FitzSimons, Gina Chick, and Turia Pitt. This success has positioned Shellharbour as a sought-after stop on national author tours, achieving some of the largest library event audiences in Australia outside Sydney.
Sienna also developed SkillScape, a new program series providing adults with practical life skills ranging from employability and stress management to healthy eating and budgeting. Launched in 2024, the program has grown significantly, supported by partnerships with Randstad, the University of Wollongong, local health experts and community organisations.
Ellie Wardell - Programs & Engagement Officer, Lismore City Council/ Richmond Tweed Regional Library
Ellie identified a skills gap in early literacy programming across Richmond Tweed Regional Library (RTRL), where over 740 programs are delivered annually by frontline staff with varying experience. To address this, she developed the RTRL Early Literacy Strategy, empowering all staff—not just specialists—to confidently deliver high-quality, evidence-based sessions across 12 locations.Drawing on her early childhood and librarianship expertise, Ellie aligned the strategy with the State Library NSW Early Literacy Framework and ALIA-APLA Standards. Her process included staff surveys, resource reviews, mapping current practice, and evaluating national training options. She recommended Raising Literacy Australia workshops and Supercharged Storytimes, supported by practical resources such as handbooks, videos, and program guides.The resulting Read. Talk. Rhyme. Learn. strategy, endorsed by RTRL management, aims to:
• Build shared language and understanding among staff
• Engage families as partners in early learning
• Deliver inclusive, evidence-based programs for children 0–5
• Support RTRL’s strategic goals for literacy and community engagement
Ellie’s collaborative, research-driven approach ensures region-wide capability building. Her work positions RTRL to deliver consistent, enriching early literacy experiences that strengthen community outcomes now and into the future.