School Library Association


The School Library Association is an independent organization in the United Kingdom which promotes libraries and literacy in schools. The SLA was founded in 1937 and is based at Kembrey Park in north-eastern Swindon. It is a charity registered in England & Wales and Scotland.
It provides training and information to teachers and librarians, 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 Gervase Phinn and Aidan Chambers, 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 in the New Year Honours 1997 and Kathleen Amy Lemaire in the New Year Honours 2008.

Projects

In May 2007 the SLA launched a project in which it acted as facilitator for a Department for Children, Schools and Families 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 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
  • 2006 — Anne-Marie Tarter
  • 2007 — Ingrid Hopson
  • 2008 — Nikki Heath
  • 2009 — Lucy Bakewell
  • 2010 — Kevin Sheehan and Duncan Wright
  • 2011 — Carol Webb
  • 2012 — Adam Lancaster
  • 2013 — Hilary Cantwell and John Iona
  • 2014 — Liz Millett
  • 2015 — Annie Brady
  • 2016 — Amy McKay
  • 2017 — Lucas Maxwell
  • 2018 — Emma Suffield
  • 2019 — Ros Harding
  • 2020/21 - 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

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
  • 2012 – Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins
  • 2013 – Incredible Edibles by Stefan Gates, illustrated by Georgia Glynn
  • 2014 – Get into Art: Animals by Susie Brooks
  • 2015 – Shackleton's Journey by William Grill
  • 2016 – The National Theatre by Marina McIntyre
  • 2017 — Survivors of the Holocaust by Kath Shackleton, Zane Whittingham and Ryan Jones
  • 2018 — Look I'm a Scientist by Various Authors
  • 2019 – Politics for Beginners by Alex Frith, Rosie Hore, Louie Stowell and Kellan Stover
  • 2020 — Africa, Amazing Africa by Atinuke and Mouri Feddag