Nominations open for School Librarian and Primary School Library of the year

Nominations are now open for the Peter Usborne Primary School Library of the Year Award and the Secondary School Librarian of the Year Award, now in its 21st year.

School library staff curate diverse book collections, recommend titles, help build independent learning skills and create the experiences that shape lifelong reading habits for millions of children, every day. Now it's your chance to turn the spotlight on your inspirational librarian, or exceptional primary school library! Deadline for entries is 9am on 16th February.

2025 School Librarian of the Year

The  Award celebrated three shortlisted librarians, with Julie Broadbent from Northampton International Academy being named as the winner. Julie won for her passion and commitment, which have contributed to a culture of positivity around reading at Northampton International Academy. ReadingZone spoke with Julie Broadbent about her work developing the school library.

2025 Peter Usborne Primary School Library of the Year

Last year's Peter Usborne Primary School Library of the Year Award was won by Mangotsfield C of E Primary School in Bristol, led by librarian Verity Robinson. The library at Mangotsfield is the heart of the school's reading community, helping every child see themselves as readers and laying the foundation for lifelong library use. ReadingZone spoke with Verity Robinson to find out why their library stands out.

Shining a light on great school librarians and libraries

The Secondary School Librarian of the Year and Peter Usborne Primary Library School of the Year Awards help to highlight the positive impact that investing in school libraries can have on the whole school community. They also present a wonderful opportunity for librarians and library teams to reflect on, document and highlight the power of your every day work.

2024 School Librarian of the Year winner, Heather Grainger, said: "The SLA Award process has been a thoroughly rewarding experience, providing opportunities and connections that can otherwise feel out of reach. The chance to deeply reflect on the work that I do was so valuable in itself, and the opportunity to then share that with judges who fully understand the role was fantastic. So often school librarians are working in an isolated position, even when surrounded by appreciative colleagues. The award allows us to see shining examples of good practice, and to share our challenges and successes."

2017 winner, and upcoming debut children's author Lucas Maxwell said the award recognises the "true value" of school librarianship - "something that is very difficult to place in a graph or pie chart". "When a child hugs a book to their chest after you give it to them; when you read a story aloud to a group and their jaws hang open in tense anticipation; when you get a message from a kid telling you that the library saved their life. These moments happen all the time and they are important," he added. "The library is the most important part of the school."

You don't need to be an SLA member to apply for these awards. For full details on how to submit a nomination, visit the SLA website's award pages: Secondary School Librarian of the Year or Peter Usborne Primary School Library of the Year.

The winners of both awards are announced at an awards ceremony in November each year. 2025's ceremony was hosted by author and screenwriter, Anthony Horowitz CBE.