Best Practice

What does an effective school library (and librarian) look like?

Reading and vocabulary Literacy Curriculum School libraries
An effective school library and librarian are crucial in supporting weaker readers, boosting reading for pleasure, and improving student outcomes. Debbie Tremble considers what this looks like in the secondary school
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Former headteacher and renowned education speaker and author, Richard Gerver, is clear: “Libraries and skilled librarians must be a non-negotiable – they are the catalysts for so much of what really matters in education.” (CILIP, 2022)

There is currently no statutory requirement for schools to have a library and there is limited national data on the prevalence of libraries in schools.

From my own experience, I have visited and worked in secondary schools where there is either no library, or where it has in some form or another become decommissioned into a classroom or other space. However, “with public libraries closing at a worrying rate school libraries are becoming even more important” (Teravainen & Clark, 2017).

The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) guidelines urge that the “school recognises the school library and the librarians as essential in supporting teaching and learning” (Shaper, 2014). This is achieved through ensuring students have someone who:

  • Supports and encourages their development as confident readers who enjoy reading widely and regularly for pleasure.
  • Supports their curriculum-based needs.
  • Develops them as competent and critical users of the huge amount of information available so that they become life-long learners.
  • Provides a safe and secure environment.
  • Supports their individual emotional and cultural needs.

Effective libraries include “a qualified full-time librarian working in the context set by the senior leadership team with managerial status and a direct involvement in teaching – the librarian helps students develop as learners and is also aware of whole-school priorities” (Teravainen & Clark, 2017).

The librarian can significantly enhance a school by fostering academic success, promoting independent reading, and providing crucial support to the school's weaker readers.

 

Impact of librarians on academic success

The Closer Look series of reports from the Library Research Service found that students tend to perform better academically when school libraries are fully staffed and well-resourced, including access to online resources and periodicals.

In particular, greater academic success has been linked to libraries with larger budgets or higher expenditure. Significantly, the study states that “evidence suggests that school libraries can be a very effective tool in closing the achievement gap” and that “students who suffer most because of the achievement gap can also benefit most from the resources and services offered by libraries and librarians” (Francis et al, 2010).

Therefore, the library and the librarian are crucial in supporting the academic success of all students, particularly our disadvantaged learners. While budget cuts are a reality across our sector, investment in the library and librarian is money well spent.

Furthermore, librarians are vital in providing resources for teachers, their lessons, and their students. The librarian is able to steer teachers to appropriate resources that can support the curriculum, or they might invest in texts that students can dip into for wider reading.

 

Developing reading for pleasure

In his book Closing the Vocabulary Gap (2018), Alex Quigley said: “A healthy, well-used library is a strong indicator of the reading culture of a school.”

The same goes for a skilled and qualified librarian. The librarian is key to the development of a reading culture across a school. Not only do they steer wider opportunities, but their very presence in school demonstrates the emphasis that is placed on reading.

It is widely known that young people’s reading for pleasure – or independent reading – is dwindling: less than half of children and young people (47.8%) now say that they enjoy reading (Cole et al, 2022).

There are a multitude of reasons for this, but perhaps, as suggested by the National Literacy Trust, part of the issue is that “national tests have discouraged children from reading for pleasure”. Encouraging independent reading is increasingly more challenging in secondary schools as the research also shows “that motivation to read decreases with age” (Clark & Rumbold, 2006).

Despite these challenges, independent reading and reading for pleasure are linked to greater educational outcomes, making it imperative for schools to foster this habit.

Published in 2000, the report Independent reading and school achievement (Cullinan, 2000) defines independent reading as any type of reading done voluntarily.

Young people who engage in independent reading develop better attitudes towards reading and achieve higher academically. The research highlights the positive impact of libraries in providing access to a variety of texts, allowing students to choose what they read, and creating a supportive environment.

Teachers play a vital role to play as Bertland’s research (cited in Cullinan, 2000) states: “Students’ patterns of borrowing books from the library for recreational reading hinge on the attitudes of their teachers.

“Teachers who consistently bring their classes to the library for skills lessons and to do content-area research have students who frequently use the library for independent reading.”

Promoting reading cannot be solely the responsibility of teachers, as they "cannot improve reading skills without also taking account of, for example, access to interesting and meaningful reading materials”, as states the Department for Education’s Reading Framework (DfE, 2023).

This is where libraries play an essential role – a well-stocked library is a treasure trove and a key motivator for young readers. The librarian serves as the gatekeeper to these texts, helping to overcome reluctance and promote reading for pleasure.

As Karen Whitelegg, a Learning Resource Centre manager, explains in her recent article (2024): "Yes, we want to help our students develop academically, but we also want them to love to read in whatever form that reading takes for them."

 

Supporting weaker readers

Librarians can play a crucial role in supporting the weakest readers in secondary schools. Research shows that “initiatives to create a reading culture and promote reading for pleasure will increase struggling readers’ motivation and enthusiasm for reading for pleasure” (Ofsted, 2022).

Librarians encourage the reading for pleasure through modelling reading and being reading champions; they help shape and even lead literacy strategies.

The range of texts available in the library means that weaker readers are able to explore a wider range of books, enabling them to grow in confidence and encourage reading for pleasure.

In our library, we have a range of Barrington Stokes books which are often offered to weaker readers for these reasons. It is these personalised recommendations that encourage weaker readers through matching books to their reading levels, which in turn fosters a more positive experience of the library.

Yet the librarian’s value lies not only in supporting reading but in creating an environment for young people who may view reading with negativity. Providing a welcoming space that is free of judgement can build students’ confidence in reading. Librarians are also key to developing the independence of weaker readers through providing a structured environment in which they can independently choose books and engage in reading activities, thus supporting weaker readers academically too.

The librarian at my school is key to our tiered reading intervention programme through running peer reading schemes and trialling “just reading” (Westbrook et al, 2023).

Through analysing the library management system and Accelerated Reading data, our librarian is also able to intervene by steering weaker readers towards books more suited to their growing reading skills and books that offer greater challenge.

Crucially, our librarian’s knowledge of the students often informs our reading intervention strategy and plays a key role within our school. Studies have shown that libraries with full-time staff, who can ensure that the library is open before and after school and that it has newer stock, have a positive impact on students’ reading and writing scores.

As stated in the Ofsted report cited above (2022): “One literacy leader stressed how valuable the school librarian was: ‘I want to really emphasise the importance of a well-informed librarian – over the years we really had to fight for that, but it’s made all the difference.’”

Timetabled library lessons enable the librarian to reach as many students as possible and may well lead to weaker readers accessing a space they may otherwise avoid. There is a strong relationship between attainment and library use; therefore exposure to the library is vital.

Indeed, data from NGRT reading tests show that those “who use the school library had an average score of 102.19, while those who don’t use the school library had an average score of 97.47” (Teravainen & Clark, 2017).

 

Final thoughts

In essence, school librarians are indispensable in cultivating academic success, promoting a love for reading, and supporting weaker readers. Their role extends beyond mere custodians of books; they are champions of literacy, catalysts for learning, and crucial pillars of the educational framework. Investing in libraries and librarians is not just a financial decision but a commitment to the development and success of every student

  • Debbie Tremble is assistant headteacher for teaching and learning at John Taylor High School in Staffordshire. She has 20 years’ experience in education, undertaking a variety of roles including head of English and trust lead for English and literacy. Debbie is an SLE for English, ELE for Staffordshire Research School, and is currently partaking in an NPQLTD. Follow her on X @mrs_tremble. Find her previous articles and webinar appearances for SecEd via www.sec-ed.co.uk/authors/debbie-tremble 

 

Further information & resources

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