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SLA email problems

The SLA is sorry to inform members that once again our ISP has been unable to rectify a problem with our emails, and we have had no messages at our usual addresses for 8 days.

If you need to contact us, or are unsure if your message has got through, you can ring us on +44 1793 7912787 or email to a temporary address sla(at)dsl.pipex.com

We do apologies for any inconvenience this may cause you.

Minister launches latest DCSF book-gifting projects

Surrounded by toddlers and their parents as well as children from Yeading Junior School, Hayes, the Schools Minister Jim Knight recently launched two new projects, each worth £4.5milion.

Speaking at the Ideas Store in Whitechapel on 19^th June the Minister officially launched Book Ahead for early years and Boys into Books 5 - 11 for primary schools. Unlike the Boys into Books 11 - 14 project last year where the books went straight to schools to become part of their library stock, these two projects are being handled by local authority library services and are being rolled out around England over the next few months. They will circulate the books among early years settings and primary schools and provide other support and activities to encourage involvement.

Both of these projects, like last year's Boys into Books, are based on Riveting Reads booklists specially commissioned from the School Library Association (SLA), Book Ahead written by Julia Eccleshare from CLPE and Boys into Books 5 - 11 by Chris Brown, Review Editor of The School Librarian and former Chair of the SLA.

At the launch Jim Knight said: ‘There is clear evidence that early exposure to books has a crucial effect on early learning. The number of words a child hears by the age of four correlates closely with later attainment at school.

‘To celebrate the National Year of Reading, Dads should set themselves a summer challenge, to read at least one book from the list with their sons during the school holidays. Books from our book lists also make great presents for relatives not sure what to buy children for birthdays.'

The Minister then spent some time discussing reading choices with junior school boys.

Chris Brown, author of Boys into Books 5 - 11 noted ‘The titles in the list have been chosen as books published within the last couple of years which are good reads and which have particular elements of appeal for boys in the 5 to 11 age range.

'Generally boys tend to choose books with action that seldom flags, humour in large dollops and with characters slightly larger than life. Currently extremely popular are fantasy tales of every shade, fast paced stories of youngsters embroiled in spying scenarios and all sorts of buccaneering piracy. High profile TV and cinema features have a great influence but like all readers boys' individual preferences can also be wide and varied and so the list offers a broad and balanced selection too including information books, poetry, graphic styles and long and involving stories.'

The booklists are freely available to all on the SLA website:
Boys into Books 11 - 14
Boys into Books 5 - 11
Book Ahead

Press release

Daily Telegraph article

School Libraries Leading Learning in Glasgow

Nearly 200 people gathered in Glasgow from 13th to 15th June for the SLA's Annual Weekend Course. There was a real buzz as we contemplated all that we could and should be doing to enable learning in our schools, and enjoyed thought provoking keynote speakers, practical and inspirational optional sessions, lots of wonderful authors and great networking opportunities (not to mention the Ceilidh!)

We'd like to thank all the delegates for making it such a fantastic weekend, all the speakers and optional session leaders, the exhibitors, and the staff at Strathclyde University for being so helpful.

A full report with photos will appear on the website shortly.

More reading for pleasure in National Year of Reading

Here is another opportunity to encourage even more reading for pleasure in schools this year. The SLA is making specially discounted bundles of publications available to everyone.

For primary schools the bundle will contain three booklists:

• Riveting Reads 3 - 6
• Riveting Reads 6 - 8
• Riveting Reads 8 - 12

For secondary schools the publications will be

• Fully Booked
• Brilliant Books
• Riveting Reads 12 - 16
  or Riveting Reads 15 - 19 Narrative Information
  or Riveting Reads: A View of the World

All bundles are priced at £15 for members and £18 for non-members.

Order your bundle online

SLA School Librarian of the Year 2008 announced

At an exciting and celebratory event in Westminster on 7th June Nikki Heath of Werneth School, Stockport, was announced School Librarian of the Year 2008, and presented with her award by special guest Philip Reeve, award winning author of the Mortal Engines series and many other books for children and teenagers.

The judging panel, who had visited many librarians around the UK shortlisted from those nominated by their colleagues this year, said of Nikki:

"Although Nikki's natural teaching ability was evident during the Yr 7 lesson we observed, her passion for supporting students to become both confident, independent researchers and to read for pleasure is her driving force. She provides constant opportunities to do this for all abilities, using both her original ideas and those initiated by other members of staff."

Full Honour List:

Winner:

• Nikki Heath, Werneth School, Stockport

Very Highly Commended:

• Karen Bhatti, Yeading Junior School, Hayes
• Shona Phillips, The Royal Blind School, Edinburgh

The Honour List:

• Anne Dawson, Dulwich College Junior School, London
• Robert Logan, Queen Elizabeth’s Community College Upper School, Crediton
• Rebecca Marshall, Lipson Community College, Plymouth

Many congratulations to all six librarians.

As always the SLA are very grateful to our sponsors, who this year are The Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), Scholastic and Softlink Europe, without whose support the Award could not be maintained.

More information

SLA Weekend Course Wiki goes live

The new wiki for those attending this year's Annual Weekend Course is now live. Simply follow the blue link on the left hand side of any page on the website, or go directly to find out more about the experience of being at one of our great events. You can ask questions, share your experiences and join in the discussions.

You don't have to be a member of the SLA, or even to be going to the Weekend Course in Glasgow, although you may feel rather left out if you're not!

Places are going fast so if you haven't booked yet you should hurry or you may get turned away! (Non resident places are still available.)

Partners Enjoying Reading – Schools and libraries working together

Enjoying Reading is an important new initiative aiming to help every child love reading by encouraging schools and libraries to work more closely together.

Enjoying Reading wants to help schools understand how libraries can help them and provide practical tools for joint work. Research shows how central reading for pleasure is for children's life chances, and yet recent international comparisons show that children in England enjoy reading less than their international peers and less than they did five years ago.

Partners for Enjoying Reading is a partnership project led by The Reading Agency and funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. It aims to build a more coordinated approach to supporting young readers, by joining up the work of school libraries, public libraries and schools library services.

The partners are

• National Literacy Trust
• School Library Association
• Society of Chief Librarians
• Association of Senior Children's Education Librarians
• Museums Libraries and Archives Council
  
  

New resources will be launched on 1 April 2008, to coincide with the beginning of the National Year of Reading, to help schools and libraries work together more effectively. These include a website, booklets for schools, and new practical materials linked to the Summer Reading Challenge, a pivotal scheme which schools and libraries can use to join up their work, and keep children reading over the summer holidays.

This is the first time that the crucial contribution that libraries play in supporting children‘s reading has been recognised through a national online resource for schools. This shows how schools can make the best of what each part of the library system has to offer. Case studies show how this can work in practice. There is a bank of ideas for getting teachers and library staff working together to achieve common aims, and a discussion space for teachers and library staff to meet virtually and share ideas.

The website has been created in close consultation with teachers, librarians and educational advisers. It builds on the success of existing programmes and should be a catalyst for more joint work.

The time is right: The 2008 National Year of Reading is an important opportunity. Libraries and schools working together can be a powerful force for change. The Enjoying Reading tools show how the partnership can work in practice and will be a major resource for teachers to use during the National Year of Reading and beyond.

Dr Ross Todd to run training course in the UK

We are pleased to announce that Dr Ross Todd will be visiting Europe for a few days in the Spring and the SLA has been able to book him to come and do one of his very popular workshops for us on Monday 19^th May 2008 in London. He will also run training courses for the Dutch and Belgian School Library Associations during that week

This is a unique opportunity for school librarians and teachers who want to learn and work together to bring about the best learning opportunities for students in information age schools, through a guided enquiry framework. Because we are so committed to encouraging such working together we are making a second place available to someone from the same school for half price. We expect places to fill up quickly so do book as soon as you are able.

Each participant will come away with:

• An understanding of guided enquiry: the philosophy and grounding in learning theory
• A knowledge of the current research in guided enquiry
• The ability to plan and implement guided enquiry learning
• The ability to ensure learning outcomes of guided enquiry projects
• Strategies to develop a school community in guided enquiry
• The capacity to train others in guided enquiry
• Prototypes of learning materials and impact measurement instruments.
  
  

Dr Ross Todd is Associate Professor in the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Originally from Australia he is also Director of CISSL , the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries, based at Rutgers. Ross is well known in the UK for the work he has done in the field of Information Literacy and school libraries, including being keynote speaker at the SLA conference on this subject at Guildford in 2005, and the LILAC conference in 2007. Ross also ran a very successful series of lectures around the UK for the SLA a number of years ago.

For more information or to book places for this course please see the full course details or contact the SLA office on 01793 791787.