The School Library Association has extended the deadline for the Primary category of the School Librarian of the Year Award to 15th January 2023. 

The School Librarian of the Year Award is the SLA's prestigious honour to recognise the excellent work that is carried out in school libraries every day, and to highlight the current practice of those whose work is outstanding.

The School Librarian of the Year Award was proposed in 2003 by Aidan Chambers, who was the President of the School Library Association at that time. It was intended to be an award for excellent practice and to be given annually 'in recognition of outstanding and exemplary work by a school librarian... whose work may be within the conventional bounds of library and information resource centres or be in unconventional areas.' (Aidan Chambers' initial proposal, October 2003).

It was very important that all sectors of education should be eligible for the award so it was open from its inception to primary, secondary, and special school staff and would also include those working with students aged 16-18. The nominations could come from anyone working in a school library from 'an innovative chartered librarian in charge of a highly developed secondary school library... to someone working with limited resources in ways that demonstrate what can be achieved in nursery schools.' (Aidan Chambers' initial proposal, October 2003)

The Award was to be open to all working in school libraries including those who were not members of the SLA.

The award is open to anyone who’s paid to look after a primary school library – this can be additional hours or responsibility or a main post – and each submission is judged based on their context (so if information literacy isn’t a part of the role that’s not a problem, for example).

You can access the nomination form the School Library Association website.