School Library Association |
| Founded | 1937 |
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| Type | Registered charity |
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| Registration no. | England & Wales (313660), Scotland (SC039453) |
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| Location | - 1 Pine Court, Kembrey Park, Swindon SN2 8AD, UK
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Area served | Worldwide |
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| Website | sla.org.uk |
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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[1] and Scotland.[2]
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.[3]
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 (2012–2017) Gervase Phinn (2006–2009) and Aidan Chambers (2003–2006), and Miranda McKearney, Empathy Lab and Former Director of The Reading Agency.[4]
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[5] with an accompanying reading guide.[6] Boys into Books 5–11, a follow-up project funded by the DCSF, ran in 2008, also with a published reading guide.[7]
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.[8]
In 2010 the SLA ran the Everyone's Reading campaign[9] 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."[10]
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.[11]
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".[22]
Winners
- 2011 — Rosendale Primary School, London
- 2012 — The Duston School, Duston, Northampton
- 2013 — Carterton Community College, Oxfordshire
- 2014 — Oak Tree Primary School, Nottinghamshire (Primary School category); Dixons Allerton Academy, West Yorkshire (Secondary School category)
- 2015 — All Saints Primary School, Stibbard, Norfolk (Primary School category); Valley Park School, Maidstone, Kent (Secondary School category)[23]
- 2017 — Adderley Primary School, Birmingham (Primary School category); American School of Madrid/Headington School/Hymers College (Secondary School category)[24]
Community and Enterprise Awards
These two awards were started in 2022 to recognise partnerships and projects benefitting school libraries. Winners due to be announced Autumn 2022.
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