We are delighted to share the winners of our National Year of Reading membership competition, generously funded by Accessit Library. Twelve schools have received an annual membership to the SLA with access to all the benefits this brings and becoming part of the incredible network of school librarians working to build reading communities in their schools.
From across the UK - from Norfolk to Devon and Scotland to Kent - the winning schools offer a variety of library provision in both primary and secondary schools, all led by passionate people who are keen to develop their practice with the support of the SLA and their fellow SLA members. Some of our winning librarians are new to the role, while others have more experience in the school library, reflecting the breadth of support that the SLA can offer to library staff at every stages of their career.
New librarian Elizabeth Gannon, School Librarian, St Matthew's RC High School said: “I’m thrilled to have won a year’s membership with the School Library Association, especially as I’m new to the role. This membership is an exciting opportunity to bring fresh ideas and inspiring resources to our library, helping to spark a love of reading and learning across the school. I can’t wait to see the difference it makes for our pupils!”
Lorna Davey, Librarian at Countess Wear Primary School said: "I am delighted to have won this competition on behalf of Countess Wear Library! As a librarian who is a former secondary school teacher, I have seen first-hand the impact that reading has on young people, particularly their writing and communication skills. Literature gives us imaginations that are vaster than any experience we have had. Reading allows us to visit worlds and meet people we would never usually be able to reach. In 2026, the National Year of Reading, the skill and enjoyment of reading is something which should be accessible as a basic necessity for all... with the help of the School Library Association, we are excited to be able to move closer to making every child a reader."
Reasons given for wanting to join the SLA ranged from accessing professional development opportunities and high-quality resources, to exchanging ideas with other librarians, and finding inspiration and ideas for building a stronger reading culture in the whole school community.
We will be sharing stories from each of our winning libraries throughout the campaign year. We encourage all SLA members to tell us what they are doing to celebrate the National Year of Reading - you can contact us at any time on [email protected] - and don’t forget to download our brilliant National Year of Reading toolkit packed full of ideas to help you make this a year to remember.
Victoria Dilly, CEO at the SLA said: "It is wonderful to welcome new members into the SLA community in this year of celebration. We know the work school librarians do every day is vital to help build a reading culture and inspire children and young people to discover stories. Huge thanks to AccessIt for their generous support of the school library community in the UK."
The winners are: Thetford Academy, St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School, St Matthew's RC High School, Philips High School, St John Fisher Catholic College, The John Wallis C of E Academy, Countess Wear Primary School, Hammersmith Academy, Prince Avenue Academy and Nursery, Harrytown Catholic High School, Tayview Primary School and Marpool Primary School. Congratulations all and welcome to the SLA!
These twelve memberships are funded by Accessit Library, a Follett Software solution, as part of our year-long partnership in 2026. The SLA and Accessit share a commitment to advocating for school libraries and all the benefits they bring, with a focus on encouraging reading engagement for all children and young people.