A CHESTER school's librarian is celebrating after she won a top national accolade.

The King’s School’s head librarian and archivist Ros Harding was announced as The School Librarian of the Year for 2019 at a ceremony in the Millennium Gloucester Hotel, London on Thursday, June 27.

The prizegiving event saw 2019 YA Book Prize winner Sara Barnard announcing the winner.

The ceremony was a celebration of the three Honour List Librarians who were gifted with a certificate and a specially drawn ‘library owl’ illustration by Chris Riddell (SLA President, three-time Greenaway winner and former Children’s Laureate).

Pupil librarians from King’s were delighted to join Mrs Harding at the ceremony and were thrilled to also take away a sketch from Chris.

Chief executive of the School Library Association, Alison Tarrant, said: "The Honour List this year are fantastic examples of the impact that effective school libraries can have, as shown by the affection and respect with which pupils and teaching staff talk about them.

"Ros has 'redefined the role' according to her nominee and all prove that the stereotype of a school librarian who sits behind a desk and stamps books is just that – a stereotype."

Mrs Harding runs book clubs in both the junior school and senior schools; annual book awards; co-ordinates the school’s patron of reading and regular author visits and Skype sessions.

She also runs an annual Book Week, which includes various competitions and a couple of quizzes which take place in a very crowded library at lunchtimes.

One of the most important library activities each year is the School Book Award which has two shortlists each year in the Senior School and a third shortlist for the award in the Junior School.

Pupils are included at every stage, from nominations, to longlisting, and including the promotion of the books, ensuring it is very much their award.

The library plays a key role in supporting teaching in the school, not only through providing resources, but also by team-teaching for project work, including research and marking with a particular focus on supporting independent learning in the Sixth Form.

King's senior deputy head, Dr Jane Byrne, who joined Ros at the celebration, said: "The celebration for those on the Honour List for the School Librarian of the Year was joyous but the whoops of extra joy from the King’s table when the winner was declared were completely heartfelt.

"The work Ros does in school – not just in the library – is creative, inspiring and unstinting. I could not be more thrilled that this should be noted on a national scale.”

Mrs Harding said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have received this award. The Honour List was incredibly strong and it really was an honour to share the celebrations with two amazing school librarians.

"I am now looking forward to the opportunities the year ahead will bring and the chance to spread the word about the difference school libraries make to children.”