SLIC: School Librarian Group 'Basecamp'

The Scottish Library & Information Council (SLIC) have carried out some great work with school libraries recently including the National Strategy for School Libraries and the School Library Improvement Fund. Their latest initiative is the school librarian group “basecamp” which will provide a forum for school librarians to communicate, network and share support and ideas. School librarians can often feel isolated at work and it can be difficult to get time away from school to meet up with colleagues so this is a great resource. There are already some great posts about the use of iPads in the library on the Basecamp.

SLIC have already invited many school librarians to join; if you are interested, please contact Karen Pepin at SLIC (k.pepin@scottishlibraries.org) or Louise Cooper (l.cooper@scottishlibraries.org).

Empathy Day, 11 June 2019

June is always a hectic month as we race towards the end of term and get organised for the next academic year, especially if you're working term-time only. However, it might be worth taking some time out to celebrate Empathy Day in the library. There are some brilliant (free) resources on the Empathy Lab website, including 'Read for Empathy' book lists - check them out now: https://www.empathylab.uk/

SAMH mental health e-learning

 School librarians are well aware of the growing concerns about children and young people’s mental health. The recent National Strategy for School Libraries states that “school libraries in Scotland contribute to health literacy, social and mental wellbeing, and provide a safe, trusted space for children and young people to be nurtured” and school libraries do rise to the challenge, whether by providing mental health toolkits, “Shelf Help” or “Reading Well” resources. There are many great projects happening across Scotland, and school libraries provide a safe, nurturing space for our pupils.

However, we would all welcome some more support and training in this area. The Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) has launched a new free e-learning resource ‘We All Have Mental Health’ for school teachers across Scotland. This resource is also available to school librarians - SAMH want to see a whole-school approach, where all school staff are able to support students through mental health challenges. This online training resource aims to equip staff with ‘the skills and knowledge to recognise and respond to pupils who are experiencing mental health problems’ and you can access it at https://www.samh.org.uk/about-mental-health/elearning-for-teachers