NEU Librarians

Children everywhere deserve to grow up safe, healthy and learning.

That’s why the NEU is standing in solidarity with children in emergencies this #WorldChildrensDayand supporting Save the Children UK’s Emergency Fund.

Donate to our appeal 👉 https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/neufundraising

A photo of the Bookbuzz books displayed on a table, a photo of Lucas Maxwell, and the words: "My Bookbuzz diary"

The brilliant school librarian @lucasjmaxwell.bsky.social uses #MyBookbuzz with his students - and he's giving us a sneak peek at his Bookbuzz diary!

In this first instalment, he's sharing how he uses the launch pack to create a buzz around reading for his students 👇

https://bit.ly/3XuwkhC

Today is Michael Rosen Day! If you want to celebrate @michaelrosenyes.bsky.social, then listen to our sister-podcast Working Class Literature's double-episode with him about socialist fairy and folk tales!

Listen here, or wherever you get your podcasts: workingclasshistory.com/podcast/wcl-...

Hey IL folks! If you thought censorship was just impacting school librarians, take a look at my new article in @timeshighered.bsky.social exploring what challenges to intellectual freedom mean for HE teaching librarians, too. How do we shift our work from overload to absence?

We are pleased the Chancellor has announced the first increase in schools’ spending power since 2019 and increased investment in school building maintenance by more than £2bn a year, but this is still a long way short of where it was in 2010.

“Ministers have also allocated £132.5 million of “dormant assets” to invest in school libraries and facilities to “support disadvantaged young people to access music, sport, and drama”.”

Spending review 2025: What's in it for schools? School funding and capital cash rise (a bit), Ofsted boost, library funding and a schools white paper

School funding and capital cash rise (a bit), Ofsted budget boost, school library scheme and a schools white paper to come in the autumn

Here's what schools need to know about today's spending review

schoolsweek.co.uk/spending-rev...

In the news this week: Updates, Awards & Research Our round-up of awards, events and research projects that you don't want to miss this week

What's been happening in the children's book world, in #libraries & the #education sector? Read our round-up featuring @booktrust.org.uk, @childrensbkshow.bsky.social, @childrenssociety.bsky.social, #KlausFluggePrize, @voice21oracy.bsky.social & @walkerbooksuk.bsky.social: bit.ly/3ZvQp8F 🗞️ #EduSkyUK

Have you registered for the #InformationBookAward Book Club? Sign up for brilliant #bookclub resources and so your pupils can vote in the Children's Choice categories. Register before 11 June for the chance to get free books for your school too! 👉 bit.ly/3SrrRtE #awards #BookSky #EduSkyUK #literacy

🌈 June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month! All month long, we’re sharing daily LGBTQ+ kids & YA book recommendations on our BlueSky account—great reads to enjoy & add to your school library! 📚 #PrideMonth #LGBTQBooks @ciliplgbtq.bsky.social @cilip.bsky.social

🤖📚 Join us on Sat 14 June 2025 for AI in Education: Challenges, Opportunities and the Role of Libraries — an online event exploring AI’s impact on education and school libraries! £25/£35 | 9:30–11:30 | Zoom
Find out more & register 👉 londonslg.wordpress.com/book-here/ @cilip.bsky.social

In case you missed out at LILAC this year, you can now find our Search Smarter guides are now available online, for info on everything from creating citations to making friends with AI bots 💻

We would love to hear your feedback on them if you use them!

infolit.org.uk/search-smart...

The SecEd Podcast: A brilliant secondary school library - SecEd In this episode, we consider what makes for excellent library provision in the secondary school, including ideas for supporting literacy and curriculum delivery.

SecEd Podcast: In a new episode, we speak to school #librarians to ask what makes for excellent #library provision in the secondary school, including ideas for supporting #curriculum delivery, #literacy & the library's wider role: buff.ly/hFbDpWV #GreatSchoolLibraries #edusky

Help shape CILIP’s new strategy for 2026–2030 CILIP is developing a new strategy for 2026–2030. Can you help to shape a future where libraries and knowledge services thrive and lead in a fast-changing world?

Join us at our online public Town Halls or roadshow sessions with member networks to share what you think CILIP should achieve by 2030 to help the profession grow its impact. We're consulting on our new 5-year strategy and we'd like to hear from you: www.cilip.org.uk/news/news.as...

Hear ye! Hear Ye! The new Disability in LIS Journal (DisLIS) is now actively recruiting media reviews (books, movies, websites, what have you) of materials that have disability as a major component, from people who have experience with that disability. cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/dislis/

Beyond the Secret Garden Drawing on and expanding their long-running column for Books for Keeps, Dr Darren Chetty and Professor Karen Sands O’Connor trace how Black and racially minoritised characters have been represented…

Beyond the Secret Garden is my favourite bit of @booksforkeeps.bsky.social & the new book by @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social & @darrenchetty.bsky.social should be read by all involved in children's books in any capacity. Karen wrote a piece for TeenLibrarian #KidLitUK
teenlibrarian.co.uk/2025/05/05/b...

The demands of support staff on their time beyond contracted hours, and the impact of staff losses at their school or setting. 74% told us in a recent survey that their workload demands it. 30% put it down to a reduction in staffing at their place of work. #NEU2025
🔗 bit.ly/3ECboPQ

On Tuesday 27 May 1-2pm, I'm presenting a webinar on behalf of @ciliplgbtq.bsky.social, "How to be a good ally to trans*, non-binary and gender-conforming people"

I've spoken about this before but allies are more vital than ever now...

Register and share please!

www.cilip.org.uk/events/Event...

Join us on Sat 17 May 2025 for Inclusive Stories, Inclusive Shelve a powerful online event on diversity in children's literature, featuring Dr Darren Chetty, Prof Karen Sands-O’Connor & Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp.
£25/£35 | 9:30–12:30 | Zoom
Book here 👉 londonslg.wordpress.com/book-here/ @cilip.bsky.social

Headteacher Update Podcast: Our new episode offers advice & ideas for brilliant #library provision in the primary school. Great advice from guests including the National Literacy Trust's @martingalway.bsky.social & Leia Sands from the @sla.org.uk School Library of the Year! buff.ly/cf5AuKC

Information Book Award: Announcing the 2025 Longlist and Book Club Announcing the IBA longlist and an exciting book club opportunity for schools

The #InformationBookAward LONGLIST is here 🎉 We're pleased to share 34 outstanding information books across three age categories. #Schools - register now to take part in the #IBABookClub and vote for the Children's Choice winners. Find out more: bit.ly/3GXpBYr #awards #booksky #kidlituk #literacy

Librarians in UK increasingly asked to remove books, as influence of US pressure groups spreads Anecdotal evidence suggests a rise in requests to take books off shelves, particularly LGBTQ+ titles

Our CEO @louiscoiffait-gunn.bsky.social highlights the “lack of robust evidence” about how widespread censorship is in the UK and which books are not available. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/a...

How do adolescents identify online misinformation? | BPS New research explores young people's strategies for filtering fact from fiction in online spaces.

New research explores young people's strategies for filtering fact from fiction in online spaces: www.bps.org.uk/research-dig...

'A Year of Pride and Joy' book by a LGBT+ ASLEF flag

'A Year of Pride and Joy' book turned to the page on Romolo the train driver

We're thrilled to see ASLEF member Romolo featured in this stunning book celebrating #LGBTQ+ voices!

Thanks to @magiccatpublishing.bsky.social and @SimonJamesGreen.bsky.social for including a train driver in your inspiring stories 🚝

"A Year of Pride and Joy" is out today! #pride

Statement on Supreme Court ruling CILIP always has and always will support the whole library, knowledge and information workforce, and all service users – including trans people.

CILIP always has and always will support the whole library, knowledge and information workforce, and all service users – including trans people. Read our statement: www.cilip.org.uk/news/699534/...

Librarians in UK increasingly asked to remove books, as influence of US pressure groups spreads Anecdotal evidence suggests a rise in requests to take books off shelves, particularly LGBTQ+ titles

Honoured to have my research into school library bookbanning in the UK reported in the Guardian! www.theguardian.com/books/2025/a...

75.5% of our support staff members said their workload had increased in the past year. In the same period, 57% reported that support staff numbers at their school had reduced, according to a recent survey. #NEU2025
🔗 bit.ly/3ECboPQ

In a recent survey of over 3,000 NEU support staff members working in state schools and academies in England and Wales, 72% of support staff members told us that they work in excess of their contracted hours. Just 1 in 7 are paid for those extra hours. #NEU2025
🔗 bit.ly/3ECboPQ

Home | Banned Together Home

Watched powerful book ban doc #BannedTogether thanks to UCL iSchool/CILIP School Libraries Group www.bannedtogetherdoc.com In addition to supporting better institutional policies & evidence, CILIP's new #IntellectualFreedom Committee will launch in April to explore other options

The Curriculum and Assessment Review Interim Report was published this week - read the SLAs initial response and find the link to the full report here 👇:

www.sla.org.uk/Public/News/...

#SchoolLibraries #CurriculumReview