Starting today, SLA Chief Executive Victoria Dilly will begin an exciting tour of SLA member schools. Victoria will also be visiting a number of branch network groups.
In June and July, Victoria will visit five school libraries in Northampton, London, Essex and Sussex to meet members, hear about their experiences and witness first-hand the diverse range of activities and initiatives being delivered by our member librarians every day. The first visit will be in Northampton, ahead of the SLA annual conference which begins tomorrow.
This tour reflects Victoria's commitment to putting member voice at the heart of the SLA. The visits are designed to spark conversation and collaboration, to provide a comprehensive picture of how our members are serving their whole school communities and to ask what further support the SLA can offer.
One of the schools on Victoria's itinerary holds special significance, as Oathall Community College in West Sussex is where Victoria’s own career as a school librarian began! This return visit underscores the personal connection Victoria maintains with the profession and her understanding of the day-to-day realities facing school library staff.
Victoria said: "School librarians are the experts in their own contexts. They understand their school communities, they know what works for their pupils, and they're innovating and problem-solving constantly. I want to hear more about all our members’ successes and challenges, as well as their ideas for how we can better support everyone working in school libraries."
School visits and case studies help us to understand and advocate for the vital role that school libraries and librarians play in education, ensuring that policy and support are grounded in the real experiences of those working directly with children and young people in schools every day.
Future visits are in the pipeline to give Victoria more insight across the UK. While she won’t be able to visit every SLA member school around the country, we would love to hear more from you about the brilliant work you are doing to support pupils in your school. Share a case study with us here.