magazine design and printing

The School Library Association

magazine design and printing

The School Library Association

The School Library Association is a long-standing customer of Holywell Press and relies on the Oxford printer to design, layout and print it’s quarterly magazine, The School Librarian.

The School Library Association (SLA) was established in 1937 and is a registered charity, focused on providing resources and training to school library staff. It’s goal is for every school in the UK to have its own (or shared) staffed library to help children and young people fulfil their potential. With a community of over 2,200 members, the SLA works to share best practice and provide practical support to help schools develop their libraries to improve literacy and learning.

magazine printing value

The SLA has been a Holywell Press customer for decades. Over the years, Holywell has printed their letterheads, business cards, membership kits, folders, conference proceedings, certificates, NCR order pads, guideline booklets, postcards, Christmas and greeting cards, invitations, newsletters, training course materials, reports, and more.

In 2018, Alison Tarrant was appointed CEO at SLA, having previously worked as a school librarian and served as a Trustee for the charity. With the organisation under financial pressure, one of her first priorities was to ensure that they were using the right suppliers to deliver value for money.

When Alison came to review SLA’s print supplier, she was pleasantly surprised. As well as finding Holywell to offer the most competitive printing prices, Alison also saw value in the strong working relationship that existed between the two organisations.

"My investigations revealed that Holywell Press were delivering incredibly good value. I wasn’t really expecting that and had imagined that their prices might not be competitive because we’d been using them for so long."

Alison Tarrant, CEO, School Library Association

how to create a great magazine

Central to the SLA’s communications strategy is its quarterly journal, The School Librarian (TSL). The printed magazine is packed full of activities, tips, and book reviews, and for Alison, the quality of the publication is paramount for SLA members.

In 2019, TSL underwent a review to ensure members were getting what they wanted and needed from the publication. This resulted in the decision to stop producing a physical newsletter and to refresh TSL. Lacking internal resource for the magazine redesign, Alison asked Holywell for help. Holywell’s Senior Designer, Toby Matthews, took the lead on the project and continues to oversee the design of each issue.

Back issues of The School Librarian magazine printed by Holywell Press

The new format magazine was a hit and Alison was delighted to share positive member feedback with Holywell.

"The design review was impressive. We had several conversations with the Holywell team about the problems we were trying to overcome, and in return, they presented a range of magazine design options."

Alison Tarrant, CEO, School Library Association

more than print quality

For Alison, the layout and design of the magazine has always felt more important than print quality. The fact that she can rely on Holywell Press to deliver both is a bonus. “Having a graphic designer inhouse to produce a quarterly magazine would be a significant commitment of resources,” she remarks.

“Working with Holywell is like having an extra member of our team. I love their flexible approach, idea generation, timely turnaround, and not making the process any longer than it needs to be.”

Alison Tarrant, CEO, School Library Association

One of the things that Alison particularly appreciates is Holywell’s customer service: “Like me, Ben works to very high standards and is supportive of his team while not writing off the concerns of the client. He approaches any issues with a solution-focused mindset.”

is print better than digital?

As with many organisations, the SLA has seen their use of printed material change in recent years. “We print far less than we used to, and sometimes we get ‘throw-away’ items printed elsewhere. But when print quality is important, I look to Holywell,” says Alison.

“When print quality is important, I look to Holywell.”

Alison Tarrant, CEO, School Library Association

The School Librarian is available in both print and online versions, but the printed magazine is by far the more popular of the two. Alison reflects, “Perhaps this is because, as librarians, our members have a natural appreciation of print. But I think it’s because it is nice to give your eyes a rest from screen time, and you can keep and go back to a printed magazine more easily.”

Child and teacher looking at printed books in a school library

printing sustainably

Alison is a big fan of the Carbon Capture paper logo, which is proudly featured alongside the magazine’s imprint information, and loves working with a sustainable printer. As well as supporting the Woodland Trust’s carbon capture scheme, Holywell Press generates electricity from solar panels on the factory roof, and reuses packaging to reduce waste. In 2023, it started to transition company vehicles to an all-electric fleet to facilitate zero emission delivery.

If you’re looking for help with magazine design or magazine printing, or you want to switch to a more sustainable printer, get in touch on 01865 242098 or click the button below.