Many children do not own a single book at home, making school libraries all the more vital. Suzanne O’Connell offers 10 ideas to boost your school’s library space
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More than 1 in 12 children in the UK do not have a single book of their own at home, rising to as many as 1 in 8 disadvantaged pupils and as many as 1 in 5 pupils aged 5 to 8, according to National Literacy Trust research (Picton & Clark, 2023).

As such, making your school library enticing has never been more important. Here are 10 tips for taking a fresh look at your library and ensuring it is a hub within your school.

This article has been published alongside a second piece considering primary schools that do not have a dedicated library space and offering 10 ideas for promoting literacy and reading when you don't have a school library. Find this article here.

 

1, Create the right environment

School libraries should ooze warmth and colour and make pupils want to snuggle up with a book. Scatter cushions, bean bags, and places to relax as well as study promote reading as a delight rather than a chore. If you have the luxury of a large open space, you might even invest in something like a reading tent where pupils can sit and read.

Are your books clearly labelled and easy to find? Do children know where the different sections are? A wall subject index is useful for them to refer to along with a bird’s-eye view of the library with colour-coding.

Signs and labels should be clear and attractive. Put the number before the description to make it easier for children to follow. Remember to have plenty of front-facing books that tempt children to pick them up.

 

2, Find the right people

Once you have established a welcoming space, you need the right people to manage it. Of course, having a dedicated school librarian is the ideal. Where this is not possible, it is important that there is a named person with a passion for reading who has the time required to take on the role. They could be supported by a teaching assistant; you might even look for volunteers in the local community. Someone needs to be championing your library – keeping displays fresh. Your librarian should also have a list of current themes being studied in classrooms so that they can make available relevant books.

 

3, Getting pupils involved

Keeping the library tidy is a popular role for pupil monitors but they must be treated with the importance they deserve. Monitors need to be properly inducted and trained in book care and organisation. Be careful how they are selected. What does the choice tell others about the people who are interested in books in your school? Also, involve your pupils in choosing books for the library. Perhaps they can be encouraged to recommend books they have read at home.

The library is the perfect environment for paired reading activities between children of different age groups. Consider children coming in 10 minutes early from the playground. It doesn’t require a great chunk of time and can be hugely rewarding for all participants.

 

4, A diverse book collection

The importance of having a library stock that is diverse and inclusive goes without saying. Review your book collection and ensure it is representative. Check-out Headteacher Update’s recent article advising on diverse book titles that could be purchased (2022). Of course this is just as important for classroom book corners in schools without a dedicated library space.

 

5, Budget

Tired and tatty books are not going to appeal to your pupils. You need to find a way of allocating an annual budget that enables you to replenish, restore, and sift out books that are not doing your library any favours.

If you take part in a parent book-buying scheme then you may be able to save some money from this for new stock. PTAs are also generally sympathetic to the need to keep the library shelves stocked, but they will expect the school to show a budget commitment too. Hosting book fairs can be another way of raising money and are a popular Book Week event.

 

6, It’s not just Book Week

It is beneficial to have a week where the profile of books and reading is raised even higher. However, you should of course aim to make books a focus every week of the year. To this end, a list of literacy teaching and school events is published by the National Literacy Trust (see further information). Elsewhere, author and poet visits bring books to life and demystify the people behind the books. You might not be able to entice the big names (still give it a go), but local authors can still bring insight into the writing process and may have an entertaining story to tell.

 

7, Teach library skills

When and how are children taught how to use the library? Woven into your curriculum, your pupils need to be:

  • Investigating information sources (when a book was published, who published it, who is the author, what do we know about them?).
  • Distinguishing different categories – fiction, non-fiction, reference...
  • Fluent in alphabetical order – how quickly can they find a book?
  • Taking care of the library – respecting books.
  • Understanding the Dewey Decimal Classification system.
  • Understanding and using the library management system.
  • Developing independent library skills 

Produce your own “Guide to the library”. This might include print-outs of the main subjects and their Dewey numbers.

 

8, Timetabling

Do you timetable library time or is the library open as and when pupils and their teachers need it? Unfortunately, for many primary schools library-use is shared with other activities. What is vital is that your library is used and enjoyed. Work out just how much time pupils have to browse and borrow books. Is there a way you can increase this? Consider scheduling times before and after school or at lunch and break times.

 

9, Different media

Is your library a place just for books? Including audio books shows an appreciation that different people have different preferences when it comes to literature. Do you keep magazines, comics and newspapers in the library? What else could encourage pupils to set foot in the library?

 

10, Change and challenge

When was the last time that your library displays were changed? Do you have a theme which means that books are highlighted and given shelf time? Consider having a challenge board with tasks and questions for pupils. How quickly can they find a named book? Where would they find the answer to this question? Who was the author of this title? Interactive activities such as quizzes and competitions can get children talking and help make your library a focal point of the school.

 

Headteacher Update Spring Term Edition 2024

  • This article first appeared in Headteacher Update's Spring Term Edition 2024. This edition was sent free of charge to UK primary schools in January. A free-to-access digital edition is also available via www.headteacher-update.com/content/downloads 

Further information & resources