- Read about all the benefits of renewing your SLS subscription for 2026/2027
- Spring term Project Loan requests
- Update on our Picture Book Award 2025/2026
- Sign up for our webinar and Primary Book Chats for the Spring term: starting with National Year of Reading
- More news from the world of books and libraries
As we look ahead to the 2026/27 academic year, West Sussex Schools Library Service continues to support schools with access to high-quality books, resources and professional expertise to support literacy, learning and a love of reading across your school.
Our carefully curated collections are designed to keep school libraries fresh, engaging, and relevant, helping schools to meet curriculum needs while encouraging children to explore a wide range of books and to read for pleasure.
“We had a project loan last January for science week and we found the children were really inspired by the texts and wanted to learn more about their science topics.”
(Teacher feedback - 2025).
Schools frequently tell us how much pupils enjoy the variety and quality of the books we provide, with titles that inspire curiosity, spark discussion and encourage children to return to favourite stories again and again.
“Always a super selection of books that we do not already have in school and something for all abilities. This year, the next term’s topic has been delivered without me needing to put in a request, since I detailed topics at the start of the year. Super service.”
(Teacher feedback - 2025)
Alongside regular book loans and collection refreshments, subscribing schools benefit from:
To ensure continued access to the service, schools are asked to complete their 2026/27 subscription by 31 March 2026. Purchase your SLS SLA for 2026/27 by visiting the SLS website.
Share the latest SLS newsletter with your team or contact the SLS team SLS@westsussex.gov.uk to discuss your subscription and find out more.
Discover how our support contributed to a subscribing school winning the SLA Enterprise of the Year Award
It's not too late to request Project Loans for the spring term. Project Loans can be requested via our online Project Loan form where you will be prompted to select the public library of your choice for collection. If you have made a request but have not heard, or if you would like to enquire further about Project Loans, please call us on 01903 704828 or email and we will be happy to help.
Calling all participating schools. We hope you are enjoying reading and sharing the books in the shortlist for this year's Picture Books to Shout About! award. Some of you will be attending our successful virtual author events in the week beginning Monday 19 January. If you are one of those schools we would love to hear your feedback, so when you vote don't forget to tell us what made the Picture Book Award special for you. If we use your quote in our publicity, you will be entered into a prize draw and may win some free children's books.
Voting will close on Thursday 5 February when we will begin to prepare for the announcement of the winner, which will take place on World Book Day - Thursday 5 March 2026.
CPD for School staff - Primary Book Chat and Webinars
Coming up this term we have:
Primary Book Chat - talk about children's books on MS Teams, hear about new books and share best practice
Are you keen to keep up to date with the latest children's books and interested in new titles that support teaching, learning and reading for pleasure?
Join the Schools Library Service for our half-termly Primary Book Chat!
Our highly experienced team will showcase a selection of the best new books recently added to the Schools Library Service catalogue and provide a relaxed and supportive environment for school staff to network, share best practice and develop their knowledge.
Tuesday 10 February, 3.45pm to 4.45pm.
With a guest appearance from the Learning and Behaviour Advisory Team!
This will be repeated on Thursday 12 February, 3.45pm to 4.45pm.
With a guest appearance from the Learning and Behaviour Advisory Team!
Tuesday 17 March, 3.45pm to 4.45pm
This will be repeated on Thursday 19 March, 3.45pm to 4.45pm
Are you looking for ways to engage parents and support families to role model reading at home? Join the Schools Library Service, during this National Year of Reading 2026, to discuss and discover successful projects, taking place in West Sussex schools, that support and inspire reading engagement.
Tuesday 3 March, 3.45pm to 4.45pm
Bring your ideas and plans to the webinar to discuss and share with schools across the county.
This will be repeated on Thursday 5 March , 3.45pm to 4.45pm
Bring your ideas and plans to the webinar to discuss and share with schools across the county.
New West Sussex Library Service website, catalogue and app coming this month
Later this month the library service will be changing over to a new library website, catalogue and app.
All West Sussex libraries will be closed on Monday 19, Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 January to enable staff to change over to the new system. All libraries will re-open at their normal times on Thursday 22 January.
Please be aware that during the transition, there will be some changes to the public library's normal service. We do not expect this to impact on the Schools Library Service but if you have any queries, please contact us on 01903 704828.
We are pleased to welcome two new members of staff to the SLS team this year:
Magdalena Wojcik is the new Contracted Services manager. You can contact her on phone: 0330 222 5840 or email: Magdalena.wojcik@westsussex.gov.uk if you have any questions about the SLA and the benefits of subscribing to the Schools' Library Service in 2026/2027.
We also welcome Jo Wren, who will be joining our team of drivers for the Mobile Library and our SLS van, providing a wide range of SLS books for schools to exchange on a termly basis. If you have received notification of your Spring term exchange and would like to request something in particular, please email us and we will ensure it is available on the day of our visit (subject to availability of stock).
National Year of Reading 2026 - My Year of Reading in West Sussex
As part of the national promotion for the National Year of Reading this year, West Sussex Libraries are running a reading challenge: My Year of Reading.
Throughout the year you can explore 12 themes, each one encouraging you to build small, meaningful reading moments into your routine and improving your wellbeing. In addition to the general public, schools, families and children are all encouraged to take part in this challenge, individually or as a group.
The challenge begins in January with the theme read a short book or short story. Take a look at our website for recommended titles and 'Go All In' with us.
Annual CLPE Reflecting Realities Survey 2025 - results now in!
The Reflecting Realities Survey of Ethnic Representation within UK Children’s Literature, funded by the Arts Council England, shows a modest increase in minoritised characters in books published for children in the UK, as CLPE approach almost a decade’s worth of insight.
The annual CLPE survey was launched in 2018 and aims to determine the extent and quality of representation of racially minoritised characters featured within picturebooks, fiction and non-fiction for ages 3-11 published in the UK. Taken together, the 8 years of reporting provide an invaluable standard benchmark and guidance for the industry to evaluate output.
You can download and read the full report here.
|
