The announcement comes as schools across the country celebrate World Book Day (Thursday 5 March), during the National Year of Reading – adding extra significance to this national recognition.
At the heart of the shortlisting is SLS@Home, an initiative designed to support children who may have limited access to books during the longer school holidays. While many pupils read regularly at school, not all have books at home or can easily visit a local library. SLS@Home helps bridge this gap.
Working closely with schools, the team identifies children who would benefit most. They then create tailored book packs, delivered directly to children’s homes. Each pack contains a mix of fiction, non-fiction, and high-interest titles matched to the child’s age and reading level, along with simple guidance to help families support reading at home.
By doing so, SLS@Home aims to reduce book poverty, strengthen family engagement, and encourage reading for pleasure – something proven to boost children’s wellbeing, confidence, and progress at school.
Councillor Steve Forster, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Education, said: “We are extremely proud to see this work recognised on a national stage and would like to thank our School Library Service colleagues for their creativity, hard work and commitment to Hampshire’s children.
“This service supports hundreds of schools across the county throughout the year. The SLS@Home project shows how far the team goes to make sure every child has the chance to enjoy reading, no matter their background or circumstances.”
The shortlisting comes at a pivotal time. With the National Year of Reading underway, Hampshire is joining organisations across the country to celebrate the joy of reading and highlight the profound impact it can have on every aspect of a child’s life.
World Book Day offers an ideal moment to showcase the work taking place across Hampshire to help children develop a lifelong love of books.
The winners of the Libraries Connected Awards will be announced later this year.