A Year 11 student from Liverpool has been named UK Pupil Library Assistant of the Year, with a Year 6 pupil from Watford achieving a national commendation alongside her.
Both were celebrated in a special London ceremony led by the School Library Association (SLA) and the CILIP School Libraries Group, with Kotryna Kazlauskaite’s success making her the second St Hilda’s Church of England High School volunteer to achieve acclaim in the awards since 2017.
The announcement, made at a poignant award ceremony hosted by Pearson in central London, marks the 10th year of the UK Pupil Library Assistant of the Year Awards (PLAA). Children’s laureate, Joseph Coelho, presented the awards to Kotryna and Reuben Colton of Watford’s Edge Grove School, who received a special commendation for his outstanding efforts in primary.
Coelho, who last year completed an 18-month “library marathon”, signing up to a library in every single region of the UK, said: “It’s no secret that I am a huge library fan. Without question, my local library was my launchpad so it’s fantastic to hear how the next generation of librarians are helping their peers to achieve through all the fabulous work they do in their school libraries. These superstar volunteers may become the librarians of the future, providing a vital lifeline for not just their school but the wider community.”
Before Kotryna and Reuben’s achievements were announced, the guests, which included seven finalists, their school librarians and families, along with over 30 authors, heard moving citations about how the pupil librarians had contributed to their schools. All were nominated by their school librarians for outstanding work, demonstrating commendable qualities across five different areas, including their positions as role models for other students.
Talking about her achievement, Kotryna said: “Libraries are the oasis in the dark oceans that school can sometimes be. They are the safe haven for all of us. This award means the absolute world to me and I can’t wait to start working on my project funded by this award.”
Reuben added: “It was incredible to meet all the authors and I was delighted to be able to speak at the ceremony about Blooms for Books, the charitable initiative I founded to fundraise to buy books for state school libraries.”
In addition to the finalists, other pupils helped to create the special event. Last year’s winner Megan Urmston of Abbeyfield School in Chippenham provided an update on the new Zen Room, a sensory-reduced space to help pupils cope with the intensity of the school day, that was funded by her prize money and the Sutherland Quintet of Ibstock Place School provided live music to top and tail the ceremony.
Speaking on behalf of the SLA, CEO Alison Tarrant explained: “Many people are surprised to discover that, in spite of the evidence which shows just how beneficial a school library can be, they are not a statutory requirement. These shortlisted schools are shining beacons of hope on a rather bleak landscape.”
Barbara Band, Chair of the PLAA Judging Panel, said, “Kotryna’s nomination showed her personal story of how the library has helped her to develop, and how she has given back to the school community as a volunteer. We were particularly impressed with Kotryna’s article for the parents’ newsletter as this highlighted specific areas where the school library had impacted on all students.”
Nick Cavender, Chair of CILIP SLG, added: “If anyone is looking for the secret to school library success it’s clear that St Hilda’s’ has the answer. Not only have two pupils won PLAA but their librarian was a School Librarian of the Year finalist last year. Happily, their winning formula isn’t a closely guarded secret: schools will be able to watch a video in which the finalists discuss their work and read extracts from the nominations on the PLAA website, meaning that such excellence can be replicated.”
Chantel Carpenter, Director of Schools Marketing at Pearson, which hosted the awards ceremony, and which sponsors the PLAA alongside Authors Aloud UK, added: “It is wonderful to hear how passionate Kotryna and Reuben are about their school library and the time they dedicate to ensuring their peers reap the same benefits. We know children's confidence and aspirations grow with success and we hope this award will continue to motivate Kotryna, Reuben and all the other finalists.
“We’re thrilled once again to sponsor these brilliant awards as part of our work supporting every learner to develop a lifelong love of reading, from the early years right through to adulthood. Libraries are such an important part of a school where diversity and inclusion can be celebrated and championed. We would like to congratulate every child who was nominated, including some from our very own Lit in Colour schools. You should be extremely proud of what you have achieved.”
Annie Everall, Director of Authors Aloud UK, said “It is wonderful to hear how much care and commitment is invested by these superstar pupil volunteers. Our writers can rest assured that in these school libraries their hard work is expertly curated so their stories have the best chance of finding their intended audience.”