This week most of our time has been taken up with our newly launched Primary School Library Charter - there is a super article in The Independent by Geraldine Brennan. See p3 of the ‘Education and Careers' section in the 18 February 2010 edition - or you can read it online. Geraldine interviewed Lucy Bakewell and her headteacher Beth Clarke on the value of the library to the achievement in the school.

The Charter has been generously received in many places with press coverage, blog entries and news items (look out for a small piece in TES tomorrow).  To further the cause of school libraries, both in general and in this particular, SLA have sent the Charter with a covering letter inviting a discourse on school libraries to all the major political parties; individuals receiving this are the Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Vernon Coaker MP, Ed Balls MP, Michael Gove MP, David Laws MP (these last four all having school and learning remits), as well as to the chair of the Commission on School Libraries - Baroness Morris.  It is entirely appropriate that this has occurred in the same week as the Commission has called for submissions to be sent to them, in writing, by 17 March 2010. There is a series of lines of enquiry set out in the press release - the SLA is working on a response but individuals are also encouraged to respond - the press notice can be seen on the MLA website.

Take this opportunity and make it count for the future of all our school libraries.