How can you use your school library to inspire pupils with a love of reading and literature? School librarian Leia Sands offers five ideas
Impact: Effective school libraries have been shown to have a positive impact on academic attainment, reading and writing skills - Adobe Stock

School libraries have a positive impact on academic attainment, reading and writing skills (Williams et al, 2013), and yet pupils’ desire to visit and spend time in their school library can sometimes be low. How do you ensure that your library is inviting and used to its maximum potential across the school year? Here are five ideas.

 

1, Books, Books, Books!

An injection of new stock is a sure-fire way to bring interest into the library. Actively involving children and offering them ownership of the titles they would like to see in the library makes this more exciting. Create a child-led “wishlist” or run a “blether session” (when children and staff can come and chat about their favourite books) to promote engagement and enjoyment of reading for pleasure.

Of course, funding new stock can be challenging. To help, we involve the school community through various fundraising events via our PTA as well as pulling together wishlists, asking for parental contributions, and running non-school uniform days and second-hand book sales.

If you are lucky enough to have access to a Schools Library Service, it is worth approaching them about a loan of new books. Charities like the Siobhan Dowd Trust provide grants for schools to purchase books, too.

 

2, Display and share current stock

Innovative displays can be a great way to encourage people into the library. Knowing your children’s interests and tapping into current trends is the key. We recently had a Strictly Come Reading display, full of books on dancing, while to celebrate the Olympics, we had a display of sports books called Reading is my favourite sport. And this term we are working on a You’ve seen the movie, now read the book display, showing books linked to films that the children may have seen over the holidays. Also, graphic novels are among the most borrowed books in both the school libraries I work in. Our Comic Book Corner has outward-facing comic books on permanent display and they fly off the shelves.

 

3, A variety of clubs

Lunchtimes can be a great time to entice children to visit the library. I encourage and support our pupil librarians to run a number of lunchtime clubs and we tap into children’s current interests. For example, we have a Lego-based club called Bricks and Books, a “Drawalong” club using brilliant resources from illustrators like Rob Biddulph and Steven Lenton, and a board game and puzzle club.

Linking up with our local public library is another way for children to experience books beyond the school – key to fostering a life-long love of reading. A recent trip to the Knit and Natter group, for example, involved the children working with members of the community at the library to make pom-poms while also discussing their favourite reads.

To return our thanks, we plan to invite those involved to visit our school library to show them the pom-poms our children have made since and celebrate this inter-generational group exchange.

 

4, Visitors

Inviting in special guests is a great way to provide an injection of interest into your library. Author visits are a powerful way to encourage book-borrowing and they may inspire some budding young writers.

Consider other events too. One good idea is a mystery reader visitor. This involves various members of our school community coming into the library to share their favourite childhood books. The children are always intrigued as to who may appear and they love seeing how books have changed over time.

We also have a dedicated Patron of Reading – children’s author Vashti Hardy – who regularly comes in to promote reading with the children. Last term, she asked pupils to redesign a book cover for their favourite book, before choosing a winning design and hosting a celebratory tea party.

 

5, Competitions and awards

We have a rolling cycle of different competitions run from the library. We work in partnership with our local public libraries to promote the Reading Agency’s Summer and Winter Reading Challenges. Children receive certificates of participation and are celebrated with a photographic display.

Another well-loved event in our school calendar is the national Poetry by Heart competition. To increase participation and enable all children a chance to feel a part of this we hold a termly Poetry Slam where children are encouraged to learn and recite a chosen poem by heart.

Everyone who participates is celebrated and a small book-related prize is presented to the in-school winner. From this, we then select children to enter the national competition. The children love this event – I am constantly being asked when the next one is.

Elsewhere, the National Literacy Trust runs regular competitions and lots of resources and ideas for internal school competitions can be found on its website, too.

Book awards are also a great way to encourage engagement with the library. To ensure children explore a range of genres, including non-fiction, we took part in the School Library Association’s Information Book Award. We introduced the shortlisted books in an assembly, dedicate time for the children to look at the texts in more detail, and then allow them to vote for their favourites. Other awards you might use this way include the LOLLIES (Laugh Out Loud Book Awards), the Carnegie Book Awards, and the Spark! School Book Award.

 

Final thoughts

Creating a simple plan for library engagement at the start of each academic year is key. By plotting key dates for events, visits and special activities, you can ensure a steady flow of interest and excitement. Remaining flexible and responsive to current trends, school priorities and children’s interests will keep your library dynamic and relevant, making it an inviting and creative learning space all year round.

  • Leia Sands is the librarian at Steyning CE Primary School and Swiss Gardens Primary School in West Sussex. Steyning CE Primary recently won the Peter Usborne School Library of the Year Award at the School Library Association Awards.

 

Headteacher Update Spring Term Edition 2025

  • This article first appeared in Headteacher Update's Spring Term Edition 2025. This edition was sent free of charge to UK primary schools in January 2025. A free-to-download digital edition is also available via www.headteacher-update.com/content/downloads 

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