Public Servant Lifestyle

School librarians praised at reception for outstanding public service workers.

School librarian Eileen Armstrong was among those praised by Tony and Cherie Blair at a special reception for outstanding public service workers held at Lancaster House.

Then Prime Miniater, Tony Blair said: "The significant progress in our public services rests, above all, on the efforts of those on the front line - dedicated public servants such as Eileen.

Pictured (right) with Tony Blair (l to r) are: Helen Pallet from Djanogly in Nottingham, Fay Dowding from Queen Elizabeth School in Lancashire, Ingrid Hopson from George Abbot School in Guildford, Helen Roberts from Lea Valley High School, Enfield
Eileen Armstrong Chair of the School Library Association.

Eileen is so well-regarded that she was selected by the School Library Association (SLA) to attend a special reception for front-line staff. It gave me a chance to thank her - and all our public servants - for their vital role in the improvements we have seen in Northumberland and across the country."

Eileen, who is school librarian at Cramlington School, Northumberland, is chair of the UK’s schools Library Association. Her national booklist 'Boys Into Books', published by the SLA and funded by the Department for Education and Skills, was launched by Alan Johnson. Every secondary school in England can select 20 free books from the list, which is designed to encourage more 11 to 14 year old boys to read for pleasure.

Eileen is highly respected by literacy experts, and her new booklist has been widely acclaimed. Over half of all secondary schools in England have now registered with the Association, and are in the process of selecting their twenty books.

Eileen was excited to be invited to meet the Blairs, but typically she said that the invitation was a celebration of the work of all school librarians, not just her own work.

Eileen was accompanied by School Librarians who were on the honour list for The School Library Association’s School Librarian of The Year Award. The final winner - and this year's SLA 'School Librarian of the the Year' - Ingrid Hopson from George Abbot School in Surrey, said: “I’m delighted that the Prime Minister has invited us, because school libraries really matter. For me, reading is fundamental to success in life. The three Rs of school librarians are resources, research and reading. PE teachers may show their students how to bend it like Beckham – but librarians are just as important because they can coach their students to read it like Paxman, respond to it like Pullman, and present it like Dimbleby.”

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