I can’t believe my journey with the SLA has come full circle, and I’ll be stepping down as CEO at the end of this week. I’ve learnt so much over the past few years and I just wanted to take a moment to reflect before I leave for good.
There are many nice memories I’ll hold on to – weekend courses, going to Palaces, giving a speech in the House of Commons, getting to know the team and trustees. It has also brought its challenges – I started a few months before GDPR legislation came into effect, then Brexit, COVID, cost of living… In leadership circles they talk about a VUCA world – Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous – and that certainly feels true, for us all. The thing that kept me inspired was thinking about our members who needed us, and through them, all the pupils we would be helping. I kept the leaving notes from my pupils in my drawer to inspire me on difficult days, and I stayed true to what I’d been tasked to do; gather information, discuss things widely and make the best decision I could.
My favourite memories are not the big glitzy moments but the quieter moments – talking to branches, meeting members (and viewing their libraries whenever possible), and celebrating successes with the office team and trustees.
I am proud of what the SLA has accomplished during my tenure as CEO – some things have changed, some things have stayed the same, and I’m not wholly responsible for any of it but together we have achieved some lovely things.
To members, I say thank you. It has always been my privilege to lead the association for you, and without your emails, engagement and memberships the SLA would have ceased to exist long before I started. We need you to continue doing this, continue spreading the word about what the SLA can do for school libraries, and continue to feed back to us about the things which could be better. Pass on to us your thoughts and experiences about why not every school library is an SLA member – we want to support even more people and need information to help us understand how to do that.
There are three things I’d like to say to members:
We can only be seen if we make ourselves visible – this may be uncomfortable, but without your stories, conversations and advocacy on the ground the sector will remain stuck.
It’s ok to not feel like the ideal librarian, but don’t feel lesser than – comparison is the thief of joy as they say. You do the best you can, in your context. Someone else may be doing completing different things in a different context – and that is great for them. Your contribution is not less valuable, less needed or less appreciated by us.
Advocacy requires a tightrope walk – we need to show the best of what is happening to lift aspirations, garner support (and funding!) and help people realise libraries are not consigned to the past. It doesn’t mean we don’t see or appreciate the full range of experiences. We use the negative stories in a quieter, but not less important, way.
The SLA doesn’t exist without your input, ideas, or guidance. It’s ok to give your input, disagree, ask questions. Remain kind, ask questions first, listen (or read) to understand, not rebut.
(I have to say that SLA members are, from my experience, hugely kind, generous with their time and understanding and incredibly supportive. But it always hurts to let someone down, or feel like you have. Not everything we do will work out 100% but where we’ve come short we will listen and learn, and do things better next time round.)
Over the next few months the SLA will continue doing things to help support you – a primary one day conference in London in February; an advocacy document about the Qualities of a School Librarian; a TSL Special on EDI and much more. I may be leaving the SLA, but the work continues, and I know whoever comes in next will have a great team to support them.
There’ll be a visual reflection from me in the Spring TSL so look forward to that! All that remains for me to say is thank you to the members. Thank you to the trustees and brilliant external organisations I’ve had the pleasure of working with, and a huge thank you to the team. I look forward to seeing what happens next, and I’m always ready to lend a supporting hand. School libraries are too important to turn away from.