17/06/2026
Our school Librarian, Jenna, recently attended the School Library Association (SLA) Conference with a ticket that was kindly donated to her by the SLA 📖
Jenna found the event an inspiring and transformative experience and returned full of ideas, with new connections, and a renewed passion for reading.
✨ Jenna's highlights included hearing from leading voices on important topics:
- Victoria Dilly – on reading as connection to self and others
- Debbie Hicks – “Reading is a window on the world and a window on our souls.”
- Jonathan Douglas (National Literacy Trust) – championing reading as a shared family experience, not just a solo activity
- Patrice Lawrence – highlighting the importance of inclusive, representative collections: “Books give humanity to people whose humanity has been taken away.”
📖 Jenna's key takeaways from the conference were:
- Reading should be shared, inclusive, and valued in all its forms
- Comics and graphic texts (from a session by Bobby Joseph and a draw-along with Jamie Smart) are powerful tools for engagement and creativity. Jenna was blown away by Bobby's energy!
- School libraries play a vital role in shaping attitudes, representation, and belonging
- Building a whole-community reading culture is essential
🌟 Other memorable moments included hearing from Michael Rosen, meeting Jacqueline Wilson, and exploring new ideas around accessible reading and censorship.
Jenna is already using this inspiration to shape library provision at Inscape, ensuring all students experience reading as a source of connection, belonging and opportunity. 💙
Lawrence Patrice Literacy Trust
