| School
Library Association |
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School
Library Association
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1
Pine Court, Kembrey Park
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Swindon,
SN2 8AD
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Tel:
01793 530166 - Fax: 01793 481182
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| My
three-year term of office as Hon. President of the School
Library |
| Association
came to an end at our annual Weekend Course, which was held
at |
| Bath
University. I was succeeded by Gervase Phinn, who I hope
will enjoy his |
| time
as President as much as I enjoyed mine. I'll continue to
work for the SLA |
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whatever ways I can. Nothing in schools and colleges is
more important than |
| the
library and no one is more important than the librarian.
In too many |
| schools
neither receives the support they need. The SLA is the only
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in Britain entirely devoted to helping school librarians,
whatever |
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status and in whatever kind of educational institution they
work. |
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| I
took on the job because I believe a well-stocked, well-equipped
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well-run library should be at the heart of every school,
and I know
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from experience how valuable the SLA is to school librarians.
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links with the SLA go back to 1961 when I was appointed
a |
| teacher
of English and the school librarian at Archway School, |
| Stroud,
Gloucestershire, when it opened in a new building. I was |
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shown
an empty room lined with shelves and told to 'fill it
with books
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and help to turn our pupils into keen readers'. I'd had
no training as
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a librarian and knew almost nothing about children's books.(This
story is
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still all too common - a situation the SLA works hard
to put right.)
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I was saved from professional calamity by the county's
Schools
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Librarian and by the members of the local branch of the
School |
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Library
Association, who gave me support, a crash course in librarianship,
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and generally speaking made it possible for me to learn
on the job
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without causing irreparable damage. It was at local SLA
meetings that I
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gave my first public talks, and it was as a result of
my work at Archway
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and
with the SLA that I could write my first book for teachers
and
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librarians, The Reluctant Reader (Pergamon Press,
1969, now long out of
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print). Naturally, I have a strong sentimental and professional
attachment
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to
the SLA, and am proud that I was invited to be its President.
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| These
days every organisation must publish its 'mission statement'. |
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The aims of the SLA are as simple as they are ambitious:
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| 'The
School Library Association supports all those committed
to the |
| promotion
and development of school libraries and information literacy. |
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For over 65 years the SLA has: |
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supported and encouraged those working in school libraries |
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campaigned to ensure appropriate provision for school libraries
and |
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library services |
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provided a significant voice to focus attention at regional
and national |
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surprise that in my opinion every school - infant, primary
and |
| secondary
- and every teacher-training institution should belong to
the |
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SLA. But so should those who benefit from the work of librarians
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children's and educational publishers, writers for the young,
teacher- |
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librarian-training institutions - everyone in fact who depends
on or |
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to do with the reading lives of children and students. |
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| These
days, with so little comprehensive and professionally informed
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of children's and youth books and electronic materials |
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available, compared with what used be offered, The School
Librarian |
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is indispensable to librarians and teachers. |
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All
contents are ©Aidan Chambers unless otherwise
stated.
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