Dubai: The winners of the School Librarian of the Year Awards 2021 were announced today at a special awards ceremony.  In association with the Executive Council of Dubai, the prestigious accolades were presented by Emirates Literature Foundation to recognise the individuals who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to promoting reading for pleasure among students over the past 18 months. Distance learning, in-school safety measures, have made this the most challenging year since the launch of the awards, and judges were particularly impressed with the nominees efforts to raise academic and literacy standards within the restrictions.

Shumous Majid Bin Faris, Strategic Development Advisor at the General Secretariat of Executive Council of Dubai, said: “These librarians have played an essential role in promoting literacy amongst students, and enriching their knowledge and education, and they have all gone the extra mile during these challenging circumstances  to reinforce education standards and enable students through knowledge.”

“School librarians are in a unique position to influence children to read books for pleasure, and we know this is one of the most important gifts we can give the next generation. Reading for pleasure enhances their literacy, their comprehension of the world, and enhances their critical thinking skills,” said Isobel Abulhoul OBE, CEO and Trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation. “It is important not only for their education, but also for the huge lifelong wellbeing benefits it can bring. Every year I am impressed by the school librarians who enter, but never more so than this year. In the face of insurmountable and severely limiting circumstances brought on by the pandemic, these individuals  have made heroic efforts to bring the joy and solace of books to the children in their schools.”    

Exceptional evaluation

Nominations were received from schools across the seven Emirates and assessed by a panel of judges. For the first time this year, judges visited the shortlisted librarians virtually ahead of the final decision, in line with the Covid safety guidelines. The award was judged in two categories– school librarians from UAE public schools and school librarians from UAE private schools.

The winners are:

Private schools

1st            Sonia   Alnahawi, Aspen Heights British School (Abu Dhabi)

2nd          Teejay Button, Raha International School (Abu Dhabi)

3rd           Jessica Scherneck, German International School (Dubai)

Public schools

1st           Hend Al Ateeqi, Madinat Khalifa A School (Abu Dhabi)

2nd                Ekramy Ahmad Sayed, Secondary Model School (Sharjah)

3rd                 Afra Al Yammahi, Al Dhait School - Cycle 1 (Ras Al Khaimah)

Special recognition:         Jericho Diano, Summit International Schools (Abu Dhabi)

More information about the Foundation can be found online and year-round news of #EmiratesLitFest on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. The Foundation also has two podcasts; the Best of the Emirates LitFest, and the Boundless Book Club. 

-Ends-

The judges for 2021 School Librarian of the Year Awards were:
Dr. Kristine Stewart
Chair of Judges; Assistant Professor and Information Literacy Coordinator, Zayed University

Christina Bruce
Consultant

Ranjini Syam
Librarian, HCT - CERT, Abu Dhabi; PhD Scholar in Library & Information Science

Sara Al Marzouqi
Researcher and Expert in Educational Leadership,     Education specialist

Muza Ahmed Abdulla Al Shafee
Library senior specialist - Library management department - DCT Abudhabi

Yamama Al Nuaimi
Senior Analyst, Policy and Strategy, Social Development

Maryam Mohamed Al Shehhi
Officer / Acting Manager of Hor Al Anz Library

About the Emirates Literature Foundation:

The Emirates Literature Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation which supports and nurtures a love of literature in the United Arab Emirates and the region, through a programme of varied cultural initiatives.

Established in 2013 by Royal Decree issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Foundation aims to foster a love for literature, with a focus on the Arabic language.

In line with the National Reading Policy of the UAE, the Foundation has implemented several long-term projects including the School Librarian of the Year Award, Kateb Maktub, and From the Inside Out, as well as conducting year-round student education programmes, book clubs and creative writing courses. The Foundation’s previous initiatives included the 2020 International Literary Festivals Conference, 2016 Dubai Translation Conference and the 2017 Dubai International Publishing Conference.

The Foundation is also the governing body of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, the UAE’s premier literary festival.

 About the Executive Council
The Executive Council of the Government of Dubai, formed by Law #3 in 2003, is the supreme decision-making body that directs and ensures the implementation of the Emirate’s policies as set out in the Dubai Strategic Plan (DSP) and for all other major policy decisions. The Council, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, consists of the Director Generals and the CEOs of government authorities and agencies. The Council drafts and submits public policies, laws and decrees, and oversees the implementation of local and federal laws. It advises the establishment of local government entities and reviews projects. It supervises the performance of the entities and leads the ongoing process of improvement to effectively transform government entities into accountable, high-performing, audience-focused organizations.

About The General Secretariat of the Executive Council
The Secretariat provides strategic support to the Council through reviews and recommendations in public policy development, public administration improvement, through improving government services, government communications, excellence as well as performance management and coordinating activities of Council and Sector Committees.

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