Creating a School Library with Impact

School libraries are facing numerous challenges in the 21st century. The number of professionally qualified staff working in schools has fallen in recent years and, increasingly, new appointments to library positions are sorely lacking the skills and knowledge needed. While there are a number of resources available detailing how to improve your school library once it is up and running there is a dearth of books that deal with the absolute basics in a practical manner, looking at the role from the first day.

Creating a School Library with Impact: A Beginners Guide is an introductory manual for anyone entering or looking to enter the exciting world of school librarianship in primary or secondary school settings. It provides readers with everything they need to know and understand from day one from author visits, social media, reading schemes, information literacy, evaluating your library, the physical layout of your room and much more, providing an invaluable guide to those first few years in the role.

Caroline Roche has been a school librarian for over 25 years, working in both the state and independent sectors. She is currently the Chair of CILIP’s School Libraries Group, and is co-Chair of the Great School Libraries Campaign. This book was born out of a passion of Caroline’s to ensure that every school has a trained librarian in place, in addition to having a great school library.

Barbara Band is a Chartered librarian with over thirty five years’ experience working in school libraries; in a previous life she worked in project management. She now offers a consultancy service with advice, support and training on all aspects of school librarianship. Barbara is currently treasurer of CILIP’s School Library Group, Vice Chair of the Great School Libraries Campaign and in her free time can be found advocating for school libraries, reading or painting.

Nick Cavender has been a school librarian for fifteen years, having previously spent over a decade in the public library sector. Currently he is the librarian and extended projects coordinator at Rickmansworth School in Hertfordshire where he is a keen advocate of digital literacy skills. Nick is treasurer of Herts SLA and sits on the CILIP SLG committee as Vice Chair.

After many years as a primary school librarian and a former member of CILIP’s School Libraries Group committee, Lucy Chambers now concentrates on children's books promotion and reviewing, writing about primary school librarianship, coordinating children’s events and the children’s poetry competition for the Chiswick Book Festival, and advising on setting up, resourcing and managing primary school libraries.

Annie Everall OBE is Director of Authors Aloud UK, an agency organising author tours and visits to schools. A qualified librarian of over 40 years, she worked for Birmingham and Derbyshire Libraries where she developed a range of award-winning library services and initiatives. She is the Conference and Training Manager for the CILIP School Libraries Group, and the Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians (ASCEL).

Ellen Krajewski worked in school and college libraries for eighteen years before taking the opportunity to retire early in July 2019. She has been a judge for the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals and was Chair of Judges for the 2021 Medals. Ellen has been an active member of CILIP’s School Libraries Group and Youth Libraries Group for some years. She served three years on the School Library Association Board and five years as Secretary to CILIP’s School Libraries Group. She is currently Chair of YLG Eastern and Herts SLA.

Sarah Pavey has worked as a school librarian for over 20 years and now has her own education training and consultancy business SP4IL. With a degrees in biochemistry and information science she is an established author and regular speaker at conferences for both school libraries and on wider education issues. She holds fellowship of CILIP and the Royal Society of Arts. She is a committee member of SLG and ILG within CILIP. Her training courses, both home and abroad, on a range of topics are practical and acclaimed for being rooted in theory.