Dubai:  The search is on for the UAE’s top school librarians with the return of the prestigious annual School Librarian of the Year Award. Now in its sixth year, the award is given by the The General Secretariat of Executive Council of Dubai and Emirates Literature Foundation to those individuals who have shown exceptional commitment in championing literacy in their schools and sharing their passion for books. It will be awarded in two categories, school librarians working in public (government) schools in the UAE and school librarians working in private schools in the UAE. 

The year award is now open for nominations and will close on 10 November 2021. The winners will be announced in February 2022.

“We believe in the role of reading. It enriches our culture, and our students have so much to gain from books, in all fields of knowledge. That’s why we continue to support the award since its launch,” said Shumous Bin Faris, Strategic Development Advisor at the General Secretariat of Executive Council of Dubai and Coordinator of Reading Initiatives in Dubai. “And we continue to instill the habit of reading in future generations, especially as our students go back to the corridors and libraries of their schools.”

“The role librarians play in encouraging reading has never been more important than in the last 18 months, where the pandemic has meant that many children have been learning from home for long periods of time,” said Isobel Abulhoul, OBE, CEO and trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation. “Many of our school librarians have gone above and beyond in imparting their enthisuisam and by making sure that their students have had the right books to enable them to flourish during this uncertain time. This has not only been important for their education, but also in making them appreciate the huge benefits reading can have on our wellbeing, offering escape, insight and entertainment.”

Nominations

Nominations can be put forward by any individual, including colleagues, head teachers, students, governors and parents. Self-nominations are also welcome and encouraged. Librarians will be assessed by a panel of judges through a sifting process and the shortlisted nominees will be visited in their school libraries. All nominees will be offered Professional Development opportunities.

Eligibility Criteria

All schools are eligible, whatever their language, but nominations must be entered online in either Arabic or English. Shortlisted nominees from both public and private schools will be judged on the library’s role within the school and wider community in line with the following criteria:

  • How does the library environment promote reading?
  • Does the library make the best use of the resources available to it (including the physical library collection and use of technology)?
  • What is the librarian’s, and the library’s role in raising academic and literacy standards in the school?
  • How does the librarian promote reading for pleasure?
  • What is the library’s role within the school and the wider community?

The closing date for nominations is 10 November 2021. For more information and to enter the competition, visit elfdubai.org/en/librarian-award

More information about the Emirates Literature Foundation can be found online and year-round news of #EmiratesLitFest on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Ends

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 Emirates Airline Festival of Literature:

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is the Arab World’s largest celebration of the written and spoken word, featuring international and regional writers, poets, thinkers and speakers from around the world. Over the last 13 years more than 1,700 authors from over one hundred countries have spoken at the Festival. In 2021 the Festival reached more than 117,000 people, in person and via live streaming. Sessions included Nobel prize winner Malala, Booker Prize nominees Avni Doshi (Burnt Sugar) and Oyinkan Braithwaite (My Sister the Serial Killer), as well as internationally acclaimed authors Elif Shafak, Amin Maalouf and Lemn Sissay. Behavioural expert Thomas Erikson shared a stage with Sherif Arafa, and the Education Programme featured children’s favourites Ali Sparkes, Obada Takla, Sam Copeland, Isabel Thomas, Sanaa Chabbani, and Ben Baily Smith, AKA Doc Brown.

The aim of the Festival is to develop a culture of reading as an enjoyable habit in the UAE, and its efforts have been recognised through many awards over the years. By providing an equal platform for international and locally based talents, the Festival continues to build the literary landscape in the UAE and further afield. Alongside the main programme, the Festival organises an Education programme, reaching students across the seven emirates of the UAE. There are also student competitions, held in Arabic and English, which allow young people to showcase their skills through poetry, short stories and reading.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Festival is a key part of the Emirates Literature Foundation, which was established in 2013 by Royal Decree. In partnership with Emirates Airline and the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated authority for heritage, arts, and culture, the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature will be back in 2022. For information and updates about the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature visit the website: www.emirateslitfest.com 

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