Inside TSL - Spring Issue

The newest edition of The School Librarian is now available and on its way to our members. Packed with exclusive insights and the latest updates from the School Library community, this issue is not to be missed.  

Inside you’ll find a welcome message from our new CEO, Victoria Dilly. Our President, Richard Gerver, continues to be an ever-encouraging voice as he urges us to face challenges with curiosity. 

SLA Patron Julian McDougall explores the growing potential for media and information literacy to become a formal part of the curriculum. If this happens, school librarians will be instrumental in delivering this change.  

At the International School of Bergen, staff are recognising that students will be stepping into an AI-driven world whether we like it or not, and we need to prepare them for that as best as we can with the AI literacy skills they need. Katrina Herting, Jennifer Oelz, and Juliet Crossley-Nilsen share how the school has moved from a place of confusion and uncertainty to make small steps towards reaping the benefits of, and safeguarding against, the dangers of AI.  

Alison Hicks revisits the topic of censorship in our libraries, sharing her findings from research into the impact of book challenges on staff in school libraries. She offers some recommendations which will help to put you in a strong place and have confidence in your library stock. Fascinatingly, there is evidence that if the library positively engages students and parents at times of transition between schools, this groundwork may have an impact in reducing potential challenges in the future. 

Reigate Grammar School have been doing just that through their annual Bookfeast event. They show how getting students and parents engaged with the library even before they start the school can be easy, fun and effective. 

If that hasn’t whetted your appetite, then there is even more to feast on inside Spring TSL: digital tools from Bev Humphrey and Kojo Hazel, folktales from Caroline Pitcher, and our usual offering of advice, research, resources, and reviews. 

At the SLA we want to help you and your library provision to grow this year. Not a member yet? Now is the perfect time to join. TSL is just one of the many benefits of membership, giving you exclusive access to expert insights and inspiring stories you won’t find anywhere else. Become a member today and access all our tools and resources, including your own copy of the latest issue. www.sla.org.uk/join

Members can read the latest issue, and the back catalogue, for free here.