SLA School Librarian of the Year Honour list announced

Four exciting and innovative librarians have made it onto to the Honour List for the SLA School Librarian of the Year Award 2018, which is announced today.

The SLA School Librarian of the Year Award recognises the work that is carried out in school libraries every day and highlights the best practice of those whose work is outstanding. The four school librarians on the Honour List for the SLA School Librarian of the Year Award - including one from outside the UK - are: NICKI CLEVELAND Nicki Cleveland is school librarian (and higher level teaching assistant) at Cannon Park Primary School on the outskirts of Coventry. Despite having only 3.5 dedicated hours in the library and no real budget, Nicki 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. Passionate engagement with the children's book world via Skype and Twitter have enabled Nicki to enrich her pupils engagement with books in an extremely powerful way. (www.missclevelandsreading.com @MissNCleveland) DR JAIN Dr 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. 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 Alison Kennedy is head librarian at St George's Ascot, an independent boarding and day school for girls 11-18 in Berkshire. Alison's role reaches far beyond the bookshelves of her library, and as Head of House, Form Tutor, Extended Project Qualification Coordinator and living on site, she is truly embedded in her school. Her enthusiastic and proactive approach to promoting Reading for Pleasure ensures the library is seen as a hive of energy and imagination, and creative use of social media plays a key role in engaging the entire school with the library and its resources. EMMA SUFFIELD Although her official title is learning resources centre manager, Emma Suffield is seen more as a member of the family by many of the 1400 students at Saint Wilfrid's CofE Academy in a diverse area of Blackburn, thanks to her personalised, thoughtful and supportive approach to engaging all readers across the school. 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 judges said that each of the librarians "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". Each has made a huge difference to the lives of the students, 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. Their full profiles will be published once a week from 6 September (in alphabetical order) on the SLA website, below. The work of the librarians will be celebrated at a ceremony on 9 October in London when author Lauren St John will announce the SLA School Librarian of the Year 2018.