The School Library Association (SLA) is an independent organization in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
which promotes
libraries
A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
and
literacy
Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, huma ...
in schools. The SLA was founded in 1937 and is based at Kembrey Park in north-eastern
Swindon
Swindon () is a town and unitary authority with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Wiltshire, England. As of the 2021 Census, the population of Swindon was 201,669, making it the largest town in the county. The Swindon un ...
. It is a charity registered in England & Wales and Scotland.
It provides training and information to teachers and
librarian
A librarian is a person who works professionally in a library providing access to information, and sometimes social or technical programming, or instruction on information literacy to users.
The role of the librarian has changed much over time, ...
s, promotes the role of librarians in schools and publishes a range of titles including a quarterly journal, ''The School Librarian''.
Regional branches operate in many areas of the UK https://www.sla.org.uk/branches
The Association's President is Richard Gerver. Past Presidents include authors
Kevin Crossley-Holland
Kevin John William Crossley-Holland (born 7 February 1941) is an English translator, children's author and poet. His best known work is probably the Arthur trilogy (2000–2003), for which he won the Guardian Prize and other recognition.
Cros ...
(2012–2017)
Gervase Phinn
Gervase Phinn (born 27 December 1946, Rotherham, England) is an English author and educator. After a career as a teacher he became a schools inspector and, latterly, Visiting Professor of Education at the University of Teesside. He graduated fro ...
(2006–2009) and
Aidan Chambers
Aidan Chambers (born 27 December 1934) is a British author of children's and young-adult novels. He won both the British Carnegie Medal and the American Printz Award for ''Postcards from No Man's Land'' (1999). For his "lasting contribution t ...
(2003–2006), and Miranda McKearney, Empathy Lab and Former Director of The Reading Agency.
Two chief executives of the association have been honoured for their services to education: Valerie Ann Fea (MBE) in the
New Year Honours 1997
The New Year Honours 1997 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countries ...
and Kathleen Amy Lemaire (OBE) in the
New Year Honours 2008
The New Year Honours 2008 for the Commonwealth realms were announced on 29 December 2007, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2008.
The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new honour, and a ...
.
Projects
In May 2007 the SLA launched a project in which it acted as facilitator for a
Department for Children, Schools and Families
Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education. DCSF was replac ...
(DCSF) initiative called ''Boys into Books 11–14'', delivering 20 free books to all qualifying state schools in England with an accompanying reading guide. ''Boys into Books 5–11'', a follow up project funded by the DCSF, ran in 2008, also with a published reading guide.
A further DCSF-funded project in 2008, ''Book Ahead 0–7'', was aimed at children in Early Years settings to promote enjoyment in reading at an early stage, with a reading guide written by Julia Eccleshare.
In 2010 the SLA ran the ''Everyone's Reading'' campaign in association with the DCSF, described by
Children's Laureate
Children's Laureate, now known as the 'Waterstones Children's Laureate' is a prestigious position awarded in the United Kingdom once every two years to a "writer or illustrator of children's books to celebrate outstanding achievement in their fie ...
Anthony Browne as "... a brilliant project encouraging the enjoyment of reading, a reading culture and a pleasure that will last throughout readers' lives."
School Librarian of the Year Award
The SLA founded the School Librarian of the Year Award in 2004 to highlight best practice and innovation in school librarianship.
Winners
* 2005 — Anne Robinson (
Nicholas Chamberlaine Technology College
Nicholas Chamberlaine School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form with an academy status, located in the town of Bedworth, Warwickshire, England. It has approximately 1,200 pupils between the ages of 11 and 18.
The Executive He ...
)
* 2006 — Anne-Marie Tarter (
Ripon Grammar School
Ripon Grammar School is a co-educational, boarding and day, selective grammar school in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England. It has been named top-performing state school in the north for nine years running by ''The Sunday Times''. It is one of the ...
)
* 2007 — Ingrid Hopson (
George Abbot School
George Abbot School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form with academy status in Burpham, north-east of the town centre of Guildford providing a comprehensive education, for around 2,000 young people, aged 11–18.
History
The ...
)
* 2008 — Nikki Heath (
Werneth School
Werneth School (formerly Bredbury Comprehensive School) is a coeducational secondary school located in Bredbury near Stockport, Greater Manchester, England.
History
The original school buildings came into use in 1941, and several additions a ...
)
* 2009 — Lucy Bakewell (Hill West Primary School, Sutton Coldfield)
* 2010 — Kevin Sheehan (
Offerton School
Offerton School was a state comprehensive secondary school located north of the A626 road near the River Goyt in Offerton, a suburb of Stockport, Greater Manchester. The school catered for pupils aged 11 to 16 and was maintained by the Metropolit ...
) and Duncan Wright (
Stewart's Melville College
Stewart's Melville College (SMC) is an independent day and boarding school in Edinburgh, Scotland. Classes are all boys in the 1st to 5th years and co-educational in Sixth (final) year. It has a roll of about 750 pupils.
The school is twinned w ...
)
* 2011 — Carol Webb (
Forest Hill School
Forest Hill School is a boys' secondary school and sixth form located in Forest Hill, in the London Borough of Lewisham. The school is in federation with the girls' secondary, Sydenham School, which is nearby.
In 2005 the school was given Per ...
)
* 2012 — Adam Lancaster (
Monk's Walk School)
* 2013 — Hilary Cantwell (
St Paul's Community College
ST, St, or St. may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Stanza, in poetry
* Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band
* Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise
* Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
, Waterford) and John Iona (
Oasis Academy Enfield
Oasis Academy Enfield is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form with academy status, located in the Enfield Lock area of Enfield, England.
The school was established in September 2007, as one of the first academies sponsored by Oasi ...
, London)
* 2014 — Liz Millett (
Weatherfield Academy
Weatherfield Academy (formerly Weatherfield School) is a mixed special school located in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England. The school accepts pupils from all over the Central Bedfordshire area.
The school is for pupils whose special education ...
, Dunstable)
* 2015 — Annie Brady (St. Paul's CBS Secondary School, Dublin)
* 2016 — Amy McKay (
Corby Business Academy
Corby Business Academy is a non-selective, co-educational state-funded secondary school in Corby, Northamptonshire, for the ages of 11–18 years. It is one of a group of Academy
An academy ( Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀ ...
)
* 2017 — Lucas Maxwell (
Glenthorne High School
Glenthorne High School is a non-selective mixed secondary school and sixth form located in the Sutton Common area of Sutton in the London Borough of Sutton, England.
History
The school was first established in 1933 on Glastonbury Road in Sutto ...
)
* 2018 — Emma Suffield (
St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy
St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy (formerly St Wilfrid's Church of England High School) is a mixed secondary school and sixth form located in Blackburn in the English county of Lancashire. It is named after Saint Wilfrid, a former archbisho ...
, Blackburn)
* 2019 — Ros Harding (
The King's School Chester
The King's School, Chester, is a British co-educational independent day school for children aged 4 to 18. It is one of the seven 'King's Schools' established (or re-endowed and renamed) by King Henry VIII in 1541 after the Dissolution of ...
)
* 20220/21 - Kristabelle Williams of Addy and Stanhope School https://www.sla.org.uk/slya-2020
Library Design Award and Inspiration Award
In 2011 the Association inaugurated the SLA Library Design Award to recognise innovation, creativity and resourcefulness in school library design. This was superseded in 2014 by the SLA Inspiration Award for "the school library space that shows inspiration, innovation, creativity and resourcefulness in its library design and in use".
Winners
* 2011 —
Rosendale Primary School
West Dulwich ( ) is a neighbourhood in South London on the southern boundary of Brockwell Park, which straddles the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Southwark. Croxted Road and South Croxted Road mark the boundary between ...
, London
* 2012 —
The Duston School
The Duston School is a mixed all-through school and sixth form located in Duston in the English county of Northamptonshire.
History
Previously known as Duston Upper School, it educated children aged 13 to 18. Due to school reorganisation in N ...
,
Duston
Duston is a suburb of Northampton and a civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England.
History
Archaeological remains found in the area suggest that Duston has roots in Prehistoric and Roman settlements. However, development in the area ha ...
, Northampton
* 2013 —
Carterton Community College
Carterton Community College is a coeducational secondary school located in Carterton in the English county of Oxfordshire.
It is a community school administered by Oxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council is the county council ...
, Oxfordshire
* 2014 — Oak Tree Primary School, Nottinghamshire (Primary School category);
Dixons Allerton Academy, West Yorkshire (Secondary School category)
* 2015 — All Saints Primary School,
Stibbard, Norfolk (Primary School category);
Valley Park School
Valley Park School is an academy school in Maidstone, Kent, England. The school caters for girls and boys between the ages of 11 and 18.
Valley Park became a specialist Arts College in July 2007. It also has the Artsmark Gold award.
Valley Pa ...
, Maidstone, Kent (Secondary School category)
* 2017 — Adderley Primary School, Birmingham (Primary School category);
American School of Madrid
The American School of Madrid (ASM) was founded in 1961. It is a private, K-12 international school in Madrid, Spain.
History
The American School of Madrid was founded in 1961 by members of The American Club in Madrid.
It was initially l ...
/
Headington School
Headington School is an independent girls' school in Headington, Oxford, England, founded by a group of evangelical Christians in 1915. The ''Good Schools Guide'' called Headington "A delightful school, hichnurtures and entertains its pupils wh ...
/
Hymers College
Hymers College is a co-educational independent day school in Kingston upon Hull, located on the site of the old Botanical Gardens. It is one of the leading schools in the East Riding of Yorkshire and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistres ...
(Secondary School category)
Community and Enterprise Awards
These two awards were started in 2022 to recognise partnerships and projects benefitting school libraries. Winners due to be announced Autumn 2022.
Information Book Award
In 2011 the Association inaugurated the SLA Information Book Award with shortlists in three categories, "designed to support school libraries, reinforce the importance of non-fiction and highlight the high standard of resources available".
Winners
* 2011 – ''How to Make a Universe with 92 Ingredients'' by Adrian Dingle (Scholastic, )
* 2012 – ''Can We Save the Tiger?'' by Martin Jenkins (Walker Books, )
* 2013 – ''Incredible Edibles'' by
Stefan Gates
Stefan Gates (born 19 September 1967) is a British television presenter, author, broadcaster and live-show performer. He has written books about food, cooking and science. He has presented over 20 TV series, mostly for the BBC, including ''Cooki ...
, illustrated by Georgia Glynn (Walker Books, )
* 2014 – ''Get into Art: Animals'' by Susie Brooks (Kingfisher, )
* 2015 – ''Shackleton's Journey'' by
William Grill
William Grill is a British illustrator, whose first children's book, ''Shackleton's Journey'', depicting Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, won the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2015.
His second book is titled ''The Wolves of ...
(Flying Eye Books, )
* 2016 – ''The National Theatre'' by Marina McIntyre (Walker Books, )
* 2017 — ''Survivors of the Holocaust'' by Kath Shackleton, Zane Whittingham and Ryan Jones (Franklin Watts, )
* 2018 — ''Look I'm a Scientist'' by Various Authors (Dorling Kindersley, )
* 2019 – ''Politics for Beginners'' by Alex Frith, Rosie Hore, Louie Stowell and Kellan Stover (Usborne, )
* 2020 — ''Africa, Amazing Africa'' by Atinuke and Mouri Feddag (Walker Books, )
Federation of Children's Book Groups: Judging the 2020 School Library Association Information Book Award
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References
External links
School Library Association website
*
*
Book Ahead
Boys into Books
Everyone's Reading
{{Authority control
1937 establishments in the United Kingdom
Academic libraries in the United Kingdom
Education in Swindon
Educational charities based in the United Kingdom
Library associations in the United Kingdom
Organisations based in Swindon
Organizations established in 1937