SLA launches fundraising appeal
Posted on Thursday, October 15, 2020
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The SLA is launch its first Patrons' Appeal to raise £2,500 to fund research into how school libraries reacted to and supported pupils during lockdown.
Three new patrons have joined the SLA; Juno Dawson, Sarah McIntyre and Smriti Halls who join long-standing patrons Aidan Chambers, Kevin Crossley-Holland, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Tim Bowler and recently appointed Professor Julian McDougall, who will help to fill the gap left by the death of Wendy Cooling earlier this year.
The SLA said, "This has been a difficult time for all in education and during lockdown school librarians had to adjust their services comprehensively, for example running book groups and mindfulness sessions over Zoom, dropping books at pupils' houses, teaching EPQ sessions over Google classroom, investigating, setting up and running e-book services, and supporting their pupils in many different ways."
The research will help to record these educational services and the impact they had on pupils during lockdown in order to share them and to highlight best practice and opportunities.
Since many school libraries simply weren't in a position to react in the ways mentioned above, the research will also look into the challenges faced by school library staff and highlight areas which need to be addressed to allow school libraries to offer a blended service. Using this research the SLA will then develop a toolkit to support the development of school libraries.
The SLA patrons and president, Chris Riddell, are encouraging people to donate. School libraries provide support for pupils in academic and pleasure reading in addition to helping with their independent learning skills, creativity and wellbeing. By studying the extent to which school libraries were able to continue offering these services during lockdown, the research will be able to add another piece to the puzzle when it comes to assessing the impact of lockdown on children.
The SLA aims to meet its target by the end of December and to appoint a researcher early in the new year. Should the target be exceeded, the SLA will look at ways to extend this research by, for example, creating practical resources (e.g. lesson plans) or, if there is a sufficient amount, by looking at other areas where research into school libraries would be beneficial for the sector.
SLA Patron Smriti Halls said, "School libraries are essential. They provide a critical resource and a vital space for school children - socially, mentally and educationally. They will have been much missed during lockdown and changes to their services since schools reopened will be proving a real challenge to staff and students alike. I'm delighted to support research that can enable a sharing of information,
knowledge and experience in these testing times allowing ALL school libraries to benefit and be well equipped with practical ideas and resources for whatever the future holds."
Ways to donate:
Give as you Live - www.giveasyoulive.com/signup/details - sign up so that when you spend with online shopping at 4000 stores, a percentage is donated to the School Library Association
Amazon Smile - if you spend with Amazon, make sure you sign up to Amazon Smile. It's the same shop and cost but Amazon donates 0.5% of your spend to the SLA at no cost to you. Just make sure you're on Amazon Smile or have changed your settings in the App.
Facebook Fundraiser - find the SLA on Facebook, then donate and share:
