Founded 1937 Area served Worldwide | Type Registered charity | |
Registration no. England & Wales (313660), Scotland (SC039453) Mission Supporting everyone involved with school libraries, promoting high quality reading and learning opportunities for all | ||
The School Library Association (SLA) 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.
Contents
- Projects
- School Librarian of the Year Award
- Winners
- Library Design Award and Inspiration Award
- Information Book Award
- References
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 and there is a national branch, SLARI, in the Republic of Ireland.
The Association's President is Kevin Crossley-Holland. Past Presidents include authors Gervase Phinn (2006–2009) and Aidan Chambers (2003–2006) and Miranda McKearney, 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 and Kathleen Amy Lemaire (OBE) 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 (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 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
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
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".