What makes a great primary school library? And what can schools do if they have no library space? Mary-Rose Grieve and Alison Tarrant from the Great School Libraries campaign offer ideas and advice
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A great school library is a vibrant space at the heart of the school that allows children to satisfy their curiosity, stimulate their creativity and become independent, inquiring young people. 

A well-resourced school library and well-trained school librarian or library staff can have a hugely positive impact, not only on children’s academic progress and attainment but on their mental health and wellbeing, as well as having a positive impact on the wider school community.

Despite this, many primary schools do not have a library – as many as 1 in 7 according to some research (Primary School Library Alliance, 2022). They are not statutory and are continually misunderstood and undervalued. With many parents buying fewer books due to the cost-of-living crisis and many children not given opportunities to visit a public library, we believe that access to a school library is more important than ever. 

 

Why do school libraries matter? 

  • School libraries help to build lifelong readers: Reading for pleasure is the bigger indicator of a child’s educational success, more so than their parent’s socio-economic status (OECD, 2011). School libraries have been shown to have a positive impact on pupils’ reading enjoyment, reading behaviour, and attitudes towards reading.
  • School libraries increase efficiency for schools: With an effective, trained librarian, the library can help alleviate teacher workload by supporting the curriculum through providing reading lists, specialist lessons or resources, and by enhancing the school’s literacy ecosystem by promoting reading for pleasure, supporting disciplinary reading and building a whole-school reading community involving teachers, parents and pupils.
  • School libraries support improved results and higher attainment: School librarians are an underutilised and untapped resource who can supercharge a school’s results and children’s success at school and beyond (Williams et al, 2013).
  • School libraries support mental health and wellbeing: They provide a safe, nurturing, and inclusive space for peace, quiet, rest, creativity and learning. Reading has been shown to have a positive impact on wellbeing (Clark & Teravainen-Goff, 2018) and a school library also has resources to inform and encourage good mental health. 
  • School libraries deliver and teach essential for information and critical literacy skills: In the era of “fake news” and “deep fakes”, school libraries and librarians or library staff are more essential than ever in combatting fake news and encouraging independent learning. 

 

What makes a great primary school library? 

  • A dedicated librarian or library staff: Just as a classroom without a teacher is just a room, so is a library without a librarian. The role of the school librarian is extremely varied and goes way beyond stacking shelves and issuing books. A dedicated school librarian can provide children with the encouragement, knowledge, and expertise they need to help develop a lifelong love of reading. They can also work as a central part of the school community, working in partnership with teaching staff, school leaders, parents and carers, and children to enhance the learning experience and make a valuable contribution to your school’s overall learning targets.
  • A proactive, nuanced, whole-school approach: A great school library, led by its librarian, should be at the heart of the school literacy policy, creating connections and collaborations between teams and fostering partnerships with parents to support reading at home and in families. It can support annual events and initiatives that the school gets involved in, and host author/illustrator/poet visits, events, competitions, and literacy-based experiences. 
  • An inclusive space: A great school library is a safe and welcoming environment that can reflect the school values and ethos, thinking about religion, equality, inclusion, and other key policies. A curated collection that represents the diversity of contemporary family life and society will allow pupils to see themselves and their lives reflected in books. It can also be a space that can give children from lower economic backgrounds access to resources they might not have at home.

 

What can schools do?

We completely understand that school leaders are in charge at a very difficult time. But there are practical steps that you can take to start, support, or grow a school library.

Two recent articles in Headteacher Update offered tips and ideas for schools – the first offering advice for schools on how to enhance their school library, the second offering advice for schools that have no dedicated library space (Headteacher Update, 2024). Allow us to follow this model...

 

If you don’t have a library 

If your school doesn’t have a library space, it might seem a daunting task to set one up. However, help is available. Look at organisations such as the School Library Association, CILIP, BookTrust, and The Reading Agency who can help you find funding, resources, and support as you begin to create this vital space in your school.

Consider what space you have available to you. Lack of space can be a challenge, but organisations such as Bookspace, who support our campaign, can help you to make the most of the space you have. 

If a whole library is just not possible, can you create the beginnings of a library somewhere? Is there someone who can build a reading culture, a space to provide access to resources, and some resources to access? What impact does this have? And consider that a librarian doesn’t have to have a library – there’s a lot they can bring to your school without the space.

We know that not every school is able to employ a full-time, employed member of staff, especially not at first. You could start with a staff member who can work for a couple of hours a week to fundraise, organise new books and help children access the library. 

 

If you do have a library

If you do have a library at your school, is it fulfilling its potential? Here are some ideas to maximise the use of your library and ensure it is a vibrant, thriving space. 

  • A school librarian: The evidence shows that school libraries with dedicated librarians and library staff lead to improved outcomes for learners. If a full-time trained library member of staff is not possible in your setting, you may want to consider a part-time or non-salaried position, or extra training for those staff with library responsibilities. The School Library Association offers a wide range of training for everyone who works in school libraries. If you do have a trained librarian, make sure to engage with them about how they can further enhance your school’s educational offer and ensure the library is integrated into teaching and learning and supporting the curriculum. 
  • Declutter: Lack of space in schools can mean that the library becomes a storage room, but libraries should be visually appealing. What can be thrown out or stored elsewhere? If you really have to store other resources in the library, ensure they are not impacting on access to the books. Declutter the shelves as well!
  • Get your pupils involved: Seeking feedback from the children gives them a voice and lets them know that their opinions and suggestions are valued. This will give them a feeling of ownership, increasing confidence and engagement with the library. You could also consider giving pupils the responsibility of being reading champions or pupil librarians.
  • Don’t use your library as an exclusion space: The library should be a safe and welcoming space, so using it as an area for “time-outs” and punishments will give children negative associations with your school library and reading.
  • Promote positive library chat: Book talk is key to reading for pleasure, so try to encourage children to engage through book talk boxes, recommendation walls, or discussion starters. If you are worried about high noise levels, try a quiet corner space for children who wish to read quietly.

 

Final thoughts

Our campaign is working to ensure that every child has access to a school library where they are free to engage with the magic of books are supported and inspired by a knowledgeable specialist, because we know that this will improve the lives of our children; this is a social justice issue.

If you would like to find out more about what a great school library and librarian can do for you, or you would like to amplify our message and support our work, get in touch, lobby your MP or prospective MP, use social media to spread the word and change the world.  

  • Mary-Rose Grieve and Alison Tarrant are co-chairs of the Great School Libraries campaign, a joint initiative of the School Library Association, the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP), and the CILIP School Libraries Group. Visit www.greatschoollibraries.org.uk and follow on X @GreatSchLibs

 

Further information & resources