Hamerton and Hamlet win School Librarian of the Year awards

Sally Hamerton has won Primary School Librarian of the Year, organised by the School Library Association (SLA), while Bridget Hamlet is crowned Secondary School Librarian of the Year.

Alison Tarrant, c.e.o. of the SLA, said: “The SLA awards provide a chance to shine a spotlight on the incredibly important work which is happening in school libraries. New research from Cambridge University in June confirmed what we knew – that the impact of reading extends far beyond the skill or the period in which it’s done. School libraries are evolving to meet today’s needs; they are providing solutions to issues around wellbeing and diversity, media and information literacy, inquiry learning and reading. It’s an honour to shine a spotlight on their fantastic work.”

Hamerton works at Two Mile Hill Primary School, Bristol. When she joined at the beginning of 2020, she inherited a library which was "under-utilised and unloved, but with a lot of potential", judges said.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, she made an immediate and effective impact on her school. With access to a well-stocked and carefully curated library, coupled with staff aware of the importance of reading for pleasure, reading attainment has increased dramatically. She said: "Small changes and projects will have an immediate impact, but long-term changes will only become apparent in 10 or 20 years, when our children become adults. My aim is to have confident, self-assured readers, with a sense of self-worth, but also empathy for their community."

Tom Stack, deputy head of Two Mile Hill Primary, said: "Sally’s contribution exemplifies the school’s vision to represent all our children in the books that we read and the curriculum we teach. Two Mile Hill Primary is a better school because of Sally; she has enabled children to develop reading as a habit, a hobby and a life-long passion."

Yvonne Lang from the award’s sponsor Authors Abroad also praised Hamerton’s “enthusiasm for reading and dedication to literacy".

Hamlet won the award for Secondary School Librarian of the Year, sponsored by OverDrive, after transforming her school, Rushey Mead Academy in Leicester “into a welcoming, vibrant space”. She has also set up libraries in other schools in the academy trust.

Within her own school, Hamlet has used various activities and challenges to establish a strong reading culture among pupils and staff, including instigating reading for pleasure tutor times for all 1,700 students and supporting teachers with their book knowledge.

Vicky Barwell, principal of Rushey Mead Academy, said: "It means a lot that Bridget’s phenomenal expertise has been recognised beyond our school. She is thoroughly deserving of this prestigious accolade. We are all incredibly proud of her and grateful for the hard work and love she has committed to cementing our school library as the heart and soul of the school.”

The 2023 Enterprise of the Year, sponsored by Reading Cloud, celebrates one-off or progressive projects which contribute towards reading and literacy in schools, and this year was awarded to Colham Manor Primary School in West London. Staff transformed a neglected storage area into an inviting and engaging library on a very limited budget.

Headteacher Carly Rissen said: "Previously our library was an uninviting and unused room with ancient, unattractive books. It was imperative that as part of our mission to make reading a whole school priority, our library became the heart of the school. Employing Reading Advocates to champion reading for pleasure was an integral part of this. There is a constant buzz about the library and our children now have every opportunity to fulfil our motto of ’Aspire, Achieve, Thrive’."