School Library Association (UK)

03/09/2026

“Dolly Parton understood the vital importance of instilling a love of reading at an early age. She knew that creating a habit of reading could be transformative – unlocking opportunities and firing the imagination. She also understood that the Imagination Library was just the beginning and that strong public and school libraries were key to taking readers on their reading journey as they grew older.”

Read the Libraries Alliance’s tribute to the incomparable Dolly Parton, whose Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has provided more than 300 million free books to children for the first five years of their life.

The Libraries Alliance, of which the School Library Association is a member, is a partnership organisation working to strengthen and champion libraries of all kinds.

https://buff.ly/WODluYN

The UK library community was saddened to hear of the death of Dolly Parton. As well as being an internationally renowned singer, songwriter, actor, and businesswoman, Dolly Parton was a generous philanthropist. She worked tirelessly to promote children’s literacy and recognised the critical import...

01/09/2026

🙌 Reading Reboot - our new reading programme funded by the Charlotte Aitken Trust, is now underway, with the first wave of activity beginning in UK secondary schools this term. 3500 free books will be delivered to schools by the end of September, and the first librarian-led, social book clubs will start in October.

Alongside the launch, we are delighted to announce The Open University Centre for Literacy and Social Justice as the programme’s academic evaluation partner, with additional support from Renaissance UK & Ireland.

Reading Reboot addresses the ongoing reading crisis by creating low-pressure, social book clubs, run by trained school librarians and delivered in the school library, during the school day. Built on a proven model, the programme gives Year 8 pupils the chance to rediscover reading on their own terms.

We are so pleased to have the Open University as our academic evaluation partner, embedding robust, mixed-method evaluation methodology into the programme from the very beginning.

Professor Teresa Cremin CBE said: “This represents a unique three-year opportunity to collaborate, evaluate and disseminate this vital work to reboot reading, shaping new knowledge and practices in the secondary phase."

The support and generosity of Renaissance will enable us to collect standardised reading data through its Star Reading Assessment. This was some of the most powerful evidence to come out of the pilot study on which Reading Reboot is built, and we are hugely grateful to be able to strengthen the evidence base for the programme in this way.

Read more: https://buff.ly/NaSYKbU

Our landmark Reading Reboot programme launches this term, with the Open University as evaluation partner

28/08/2026

The start of term is approaching! We hope you have all had a restful holiday. If you managed to fully switch off from the news, then you might find our Summer Round-up handy to reconnect you with what's been happening while you were away.

Read on for news of events, awards and initiatives from the children's book world, including research from National Literacy Trust; the Education Select Committee's Reading for Pleasure report; the fantastic new Children's Laureate Patrice Lawrence; exciting new releases; recent award winners AND the upcoming launch of our Reading Reboot programme - funded by the Charlotte Aitken Trust.

👉 https://bit.ly/3UooDLI

A round-up of the awards, events and activity that you might have missed over the long school holiday

25/08/2026

TSL (The School Librarian) is sent free of charge to our members three times a year. Published since 1937, it is essential reading for school librarians, literacy leads, teachers and volunteers.

Do you have a success story you’d like to share, an article you’d like to write, or a book you’d like us to review?

TSL is your journal, and we would love to hear from you with feedback or ideas or suggestions for articles. Please contact Jenny, our editor at [email protected].

A sample of the most recent issue is available to everyone to read here: https://bit.ly/4gXAetW

21/08/2026

Every Friday throughout the school holidays, we have been sharing our thoughts on some of the most exciting children's book releases of the year.

This week it is the turn of our membership and projects officer, Evie Crowhurst.

"Are you holding on? I hope so, because this vibrant and action-packed book about the history and science of amusement parks takes you on a wild ride of innovation and nostalgia.

"Scream (If You Wanna Go Faster) perfectly balances historical narrative and the brilliance of scientific invention - from steam-powered horses to the global phenomenon that is Disneyland.

"I have to say, for someone who can just about manage the teacups, it was fascinating to learn why we seek out that safe sense of fear while being tossed and turned about. This book doesn’t just recount the decades, it explains why and how funfairs have evolved the way they have and why we crave that sense of being out of our comfort zone – although I will admit that the pleasure gardens of the 1600s are far more appealing to me.

"This book is a fantastic tool to engage reluctant readers. The bright and dynamic pages draw you in, and with each turn there is something new to uncover, blending detailed facts with vivid illustration. It is an excellent curation of entertainment and education and, for those averse to this kind of motion, probably a vastly preferable way to partake!"

Cicada Books
Roozeboos

19/08/2026

As we prepare to welcome pupils back to the library, start the new school year by becoming a member of the SLA. Your membership comes with a subscription to TSL – our journal, sent to members three times a year.

We commission articles on a wide range of topics, including some of the most pressing issues facing the education sector today.

Every page is written by experts and includes ideas to design, build and maintain a vibrant and effective school library. You’ll find inspiration to help pupils explore their own opinions, develop critical thinking skills and discover a love of reading that will last a lifetime.

Join the SLA today: https://buff.ly/ksIKQ48

17/08/2026

It's difficult to believe after such a sustained period of sunshine, but there are only 130 days to go until Christmas!

As we start to segue into autumn, we are anticipating some brilliant new releases that will be perfect for the cosy seasons. For the first time, we will be releasing a set of Seasonal Publisher Roadshows this November.

These roadshows events will present titles exploring the theme of winter, from festivals such as the winter solstice, Christmas and Hanukkah to celebrating the beauty of nature.

These sessions will help inspire your winter reading recommendations, with lots of theming ideas to bring into your library space.

Book your place today!

Picture Book, 3 November: https://bit.ly/45oYlLK
Middle Grade, 4 November: https://bit.ly/4qfzeVa
Young Adult, 6 November: https://bit.ly/4qaOQZS

14/08/2026

The summer holidays present the perfect opportunity to catch up on reading, and every Friday throughout the holidays we have been sharing our thoughts on some of the most exciting children's book releases of the year.

This week it is the turn of finance officer Becky West. We'd love to know what you're reading too – let us know in the comments!

"From the first page of the first book, I must confess I have been utterly captivated by Dave Pigeon. There's something about the ubiquity of the feral pigeon, combined with the British love of an underdog, that makes Dave's deluded overconfidence quite lovable. With his best friend and opposite, the down-to-earth pragmatist Skipper, we join the pair in another episode of their feathered lives. This time, when the Human Lady rescues yet another injured pigeon and, to add insult to injury, names him Dave too, the rivals must battle it out to win the right be the one and only Dave.

"What I love most about these books is that instead of simply layering jokes on top of outlandish situations, Swapna Haddow captures the beautiful enduring friendship of Dave and Skipper, with plenty of room for flaws, failures and forgiveness - and that just makes me feel warm inside. I am far more devastated than an adult should be that this is the last in the series, but it's rounded off in a wonderful way."

Faber Children's Books

13/08/2026

Ahead of the 2026 School Library Association Awards, we are giving you the opportunity to meet the yet-to-be-announced shortlisted librarians and schools for the Secondary School Librarian of the Year Award, sponsored by Bloomsbury Publishing UK, and the Peter Usborne Primary School Library of the Year Award, sponsored by Usborne Publishing.

Our webinars on 1 October and 15 October will highlight the outstanding work these librarians are doing to keep their spaces inspiring, engaging and welcoming for their students.

Each session will provide tips and tricks for raising your library's profile, strategies to develop and strengthen relationships within your school, and inspiration for how to increase the impact your library has on learning and wellbeing.

We will hear from the chair of judges, Charlotte Taylor-Smith, as well as 2025 winners Verity Robinson and Julie Broadbent, who will provide unique and insightful perspectives on librarianship.

Book your place now:

Secondary Librarian of the Year Award, sponsored by Bloomsbury Publishing UK: Thursday 1 October: https://bit.ly/4guUZgk
Peter Usborne Primary School Library of the Year Award, Thursday 15 October: https://bit.ly/4fXMNVG

12/08/2026

“Fanfiction is a creative space to develop writing through community engagement, to ‘geek out’ with people as obsessed with a character or a story as you are. It is potentially a place of belonging, and a powerful tool in protecting mental health.”

Librarian Claire Thomas has been involved in fandom herself from a young age. In the Summer issue of TSL, she describes how she established a fanfiction group at her school – and how fanfiction can foster a sense of belonging.

Read a sample of the Summer issue here: https://buff.ly/55yEasj

Image credit: Gracia Dharma/Unsplash