School Librarian of the Year honour list revealed

Four "exciting and innovative" librarians have made it onto to the Honour List for the SLA School Librarian of the Year Award 2018, with one from outside the British Isles for only the second time in the history of the Award.

The SLA School Librarian of the Year Award is the School Library Association’s honour to recognize the "excellent work" that is carried out in school libraries every day and highlight the best practice of those whose work is outstanding.

Nicki Cleveland is school librarian and higher level teaching assistant at Cannon Park Primary School on the outskirts of Coventry. According to the SLA, despite having only 3.5 dedicated hours in the library and "no real budget", Cleveland has "revolutionised" the way the teaching staff at Cannon Park Primary think about Reading for Pleasure; due to working in close partnership with the staff around her, it is now at the forefront of the school's ethos. "Thinking outside the box and passionate engagement with the children's book world via Skype and Twitter have enabled Cleveland to enrich her pupils engagement with books in an extremely powerful way," said the SLA.

Dr. Chhavi Jain manages a large, multilingual library and makerspace in Manav Rachna International School (Gurugram) outside New Delhi in India, where she supports 1100 children aged 6 -17 years. "Dr. Jain is breaking down barriers and raising the profiles of school librarians in India with her innovative and rigorous approach to her work", said the SLA. "Exemplary in her promotion of reading with numerous author visits (in person and via Skype), pupil awards and international collaborative projects, her enthusiasm, professionalism and passion for reading is recognised throughout the school."

Alison Kennedy is head llbrarian at St George's Ascot, an independent boarding and day school for girls 11-18 in Berkshire. As head of house, form tutor, extended project qualification coordinator and living on site she is "truly embedded in her school", said the SLA, who also praised Kennedy's "enthusiastic and proactive" approach to promoting Reading for Pleasure which ensures the library is seen as a "hive of energy and imagination".

Emma Suffield, learning resources centre manager, is seen "more as a member of the family" by many of the 1400 students at Saint Wilfrid’s C of E Academy in a diverse area of Blackburn, due to her "personalised, thoughtful and supportive" approach to engaging all readers across the school. The SLA said: "Innovative, imaginative practice, frequently going the extra mile, has led to a whopping 450% increase in book borrowing rates since Emma became responsible for the library in 2014."

The SLA said of the librarians: "These are four exceptional school librarians; each has made a huge difference to the lives of the students and people they work with, igniting a passion for reading, setting students on a learning journey, teaching them essential skills, as well as supporting staff and reaching out to the wider community. Any one of these four would be a worthy winner of the SLA School Librarian of the Year Award."

Full profiles of the shortlistees will be published once a week from 6th September on the SLA website at www.sla.org.uk.

The work of the librarians will be celebrated at a ceremony held on 9th October 2018 in Covent Garden, when Blue Peter Book Award Winner Lauren St John will announce the SLA School Librarian of the Year 2018.

Lesley Martin, chair of the SLA School Librarian of the Year selection committee, said: “The SLYA judging panel was delighted to receive nominations from librarians representing every phase and type of school. Our Honour List comprises four very different but equally effective librarians who display high levels of professionalism and commitment. Each has demonstrated innovation, commitment, and passion to developing their pupils as readers and learners and transforming the perception of reading and libraries in their schools.”