School librarian of the year award

I was in Swindon for the School Library Association's 85th anniversary gala dinner when the award winners were announced. I was there as the chair of the School Librarian of the Year Award, which I had to introduce. The poet Karl Nova did a great performance and the event went really well. The atmosphere was great and a few of us ended up in bar until the small hours...
This award is important to me because it highlights the difference that a good school librarian can make to teaching and learning and to the lives of pupils. With budget cuts, they are often seen as dispensable, sadly.