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This week @TeresaCremin tweeted that school libraries should stay open if at all possible (the thread has some great examples of adapted services). As we agree, we thought it would be worth looking at why, & how things were standing pre-pandemic according to our research. 1/n
Numerous studies, looking at the UK and more widely, have provided strong evidence to link school library provision with a range of positive outcomes for students and the school, including all the elements in the photo below.
However, when the research came back (in 2019) it indicated that just under 9 in 10 schools that participated in this survey reported having access to a designated school library space (87%), dropping to 67% in Wales & 57% in Northern Ireland.
So further closures are concerning.
So further closures are concerning.
95% of secondary schools in our survey and 38% of primary schools said that they had a designated member of library staff to run the library.
What's happened to the school libraries which didn't have a designated member of staff during COVID?
What's happened to the school libraries which didn't have a designated member of staff during COVID?
The survey showed that schools with a higher proportion of children eligible for free school meals are more than twice as likely not to have a library space onsite.
Children eligible for FSM deserve nourishment for their bodies and their minds; access to resources is fundamental
Children eligible for FSM deserve nourishment for their bodies and their minds; access to resources is fundamental
At that time, 59% of school libraries were used as classrooms for non-library lessons and 51% as meeting rooms for school business.
Pressures on space have increased since then.
Pressures on space have increased since then.
More than half of the schools that participated (55%) indicated that their library was open for 6 hours or less daily. However, the staffed hours reported was significantly lower, indicating that many school libraries are unstaffed for some of their opening time.
Of the 87% of schools which have a school library, only 34% of primary & 88% of secondary schools had a sch lib budget. There is also a disparity between nations, with schls in Northern Ireland (27%) & Wales (9%) less likely to have a library budget than schools in England (64%)
The consequence of this is that the most common frequency of book buying for primary schools is termly (29%), followed by yearly (26%).
This makes it incredibly hard to respond to need (books which match pupils needs) & desire (buying similar to a book which has been popular).
This makes it incredibly hard to respond to need (books which match pupils needs) & desire (buying similar to a book which has been popular).
The survey found that independent schools were nearly twice as likely to have dedicated budget for their library as non-independent primary and secondary schools (83% vs. 42%).
That adds another layer of unequal access (in combination with FSM correlation we mentioned earlier).
That adds another layer of unequal access (in combination with FSM correlation we mentioned earlier).
The report made three sets of recommendations. Some for school leaders, which remain important. A huge thank you to all school leaders at the moment, and especially those who have supported their school library staff in adapting their service through this time.
The report also had recommendations for policymakers.
Additionally, the report had recommendations for the library sector. Since then the #GreatSchoolLibraries campaign has continued to highlight the work taking place in school libraries; you can read more here: https://tinyurl.com/y677c3d8
Sch lib deliver a range of benefits, but require increased understanding about the educational benefits; not just the fact they look good on a prospectus. #GreatSchoolLibraries may look different at the moment, but the work which is going on continues to be important for pupils.
You can read the report here: https://tinyurl.com/yyhchq78
The #GreatSchoolLibraries campaign is spearheaded by @CILIPinfo @CILIPSLG and @uksla It started in 2018, and will run until October 2021. It is sponsored by @Petersbooks
The #GreatSchoolLibraries campaign is spearheaded by @CILIPinfo @CILIPSLG and @uksla It started in 2018, and will run until October 2021. It is sponsored by @Petersbooks
