BfK News: September 2013
SLA School Librarian of the Year Award 2013.
Four exceptional school librarians are on the Honour List for the SLA School Librarian of the Year Award 2013.
The School Library Association created the School Librarian of the Year Award in 2004 in response to the need for recognition of the excellent work that is carried out in school libraries every day, and to highlight best practice through celebrating those whose work is outstanding.
This year the shortlist includes librarians from Italy, the Republic of Ireland and the UK making it a truly international competition.
The four shortlisted librarians are:
Sally Cameron, early childhood and elementary school (3-11) librarian at Marymount International School (www.hmarymountrome.org/), Rome, Italy. Sally moved to the library from a teaching post at Marymount and has created a book-loving community that embraces families, many of them new to the city and from many different countries. One of the ways in which Sally entices people into the library is with food, including Rise and Read breakfast sessions.
Hilary Cantwell, librarian at St Paul’s Community College (www.stpaulswaterford.ie/), Waterford, Republic of Ireland. Hilary gained expertise in New York schools and public libraries before joining an Irish government programme to create school libraries. St Paul’s has 430 students and is in a rural county with the highest unemployment in Ireland. It is affiliated to the Irish government’s inclusion programme, Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (http://goo.gl/GJ57jQ).
Lynn Hopson, librarian at Don Valley Academy (www.donvalleyacademy.org.uk/”>http://org.uk/), Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Lynn has put her students’ love of reading on the map with the Doncaster Book Award. Don Valley specialises in the performing arts and has more than 1,200 students from a variety of backgrounds. Lyn has worked at Don Valley for 11 years and is also a Curriculum Leader and part of the Support Staff Leadership Team.
John Iona, librarian at Oasis Academy (www.oasisacademyenfield.org/), Enfield, Middlesex. John creates award-winning resources, delivers the school’s Extended Project Qualification programme and plays a significant role in curriculum planning and support. The school has 1,100 students of which up to 70% have English as a second language. John actively promotes reading for pleasure with a number of initiatives including Reading Games.
Their work will be celebrated at a ceremony held on Monday 7th October 2013 at Hotel Russell, London, when the SLA School Librarian of the Year 2013 will be announced. The celebrations will also include the announcement of the winner of the School Library Association Library Design Award.
Softlink (www.softlink.co.uk”>http://co.uk) and Raintree (www.www.raintreepublishers.co.uk) are sponsoring the award.
The Booktrust Best Book Awards
Booktrust has partnered with Amazon Kindle to launch a new prize, The Booktrust Best Book Awards.
The prize will seek to find the very best children’s books in the UK and provide a platform for children to ‘rave about the very best books with the same enthusiasm as they do the latest Hollywood blockbuster’, says Booktrust Chief Executive Viv Bird.
There will be 10 awards in five categories aimed at pre-school-aged children to 14-year-olds: picture books, fiction, non-fiction, humour books and digital. Books must have been published in 2013, be first editions and be written by a UK author. There will also be a lifetime achievement award for an influential children’s writer or illustrator.
Parents, schools and libraries can register to get involved in the awards now and the shortlist will be announced in March. Children will then be invited to read the books, take part in activities and vote for their favourite titles online.
The winners will be announced at ‘a ceremony in central London during Children’s Book Week 2014 (moved to the beginning of July – a new date for this long time staple on the children’s book world calendar).
Kindle has supported Booktrust in the past during its Read for my School campaign. The prize was designed by Booktrust following two pieces of market analysis the charity commissioned after its Early Years Awards and Teenage Prize ceased following funding cuts. Claire Shanahan, head of arts at Booktrust, said, ‘We wanted to develop an award which put kids at the heart of it. They will be telling us which books are the best.’
For more information, visit: www.booktrust.org.uk/bestbookawards”>The Booktrust Best Book Awards with Kindle.
