Kevin Sheehan

My best friends during my formative years were the Wakefield twins from the Sweet Valley High books.  I was introverted (and still am), gay and working class, living in a large council estate on the outskirts of Romford.  I felt that I never fitted into the sometimes ‘toxic masculinity’ during this time.  It was these soap-operatic stories that created the ideal escapism during my formative years; always enjoyed in the lavish 1970s splendour of my local public library!

I am a veteran school librarian with over twenty-five years’ experience within libraries.  I was nurtured by a large catalogue of librarians, who, through their knowledge, wisdom and love, transformed a YTS trainee, who was a little rough around the edges, into the professional I am today.  These heroes motivated me to move away and begin a degree in librarianship.  Years later my roots are firmly embedded within north west England, and still doing a job that I love passionately.

I am always striving to be the best version of myself, gaining further qualifications including an MA in Information Literacy (at Sheffield University), plus won (and proudly winning) the coveted School Library Association ‘Librarian of the Year’ award.  My achievements are important to me, but not as much as the thousands of kids I have welcomed into the school library over the years.  A crucial part of my role is seeking and stocking books that present different versions and possibilities of what it looks and feels like to be a young adult, from the past, current present and future, in the stories that they read.  I look forward to choosing the next set of titles that could have the potential to change lives.