School Library Association appoints Victoria Dilly as CEO

The School Library Association (SLA) has appointed Victoria Dilly as chief executive officer. She has spent the past 20 years working in the education sector and for the last seven years has led and developed national programmes for charitable organisations, including National Literacy Trust, Speakers Trust and the Royal Horticultural Society.

While at Speakers Trust, she managed the delivery of the UK’s largest national public speaking programme for young people and before joining the charity sector she was a school librarian for 10 years. 

The SLA, which has been running since 1937, supports schools to develop their school library, "establish a reading culture and deliver independent learning skills".  

Dilly said: "I’m thrilled to be joining the SLA, an organisation that has a rich history of supporting school libraries and helping children discover the joy of reading. I’m looking forward to building on this legacy with fresh ideas and working with members and colleagues in the sector to grow our reach and impact. School libraries are hubs of learning and those who work in them play a key role in supporting children’s personal, social and academic development. Now, in these financially challenging times, I believe our support to keep libraries an integral part of school life is more important than ever. With children’s reading for pleasure at an all-time low, the role of the school library is even more vital in giving children the chance to reach their full potential."