We know that school libraries are important. And thinking of them as just repositories for dusty books is a serious neglect of the possibilities a school library can provide!
So while I wasn’t surprised to read about this new study in the UK, it’s important to KEEP SAYING THIS ALL THE TIME!
If you want to talk about some programming ideas for your school library, or to bounce around some ideas for things that would help to better connect your materials with your teachers, or putting together collection development plans, or anything else to make your job and your library better – let us know! We’re here to help!
Check out the excerpt of this article; and click on the link to read the whole thing.
And be sure TODAY to tell someone about something valuable your library provides to your community!!!
Lack of school libraries ‘a social mobility time bomb’
“Schools with disadvantaged intakes are more than twice as likely to have no access to a designated library space than those with more advantaged pupils, research reveals.
The findings have led to one children’s author dubbing inequality of access to school libraries a “social mobility time bomb”.
One in eight schools – 13 per cent – do not have access to library space, according to the report commissioned by the Great School Libraries campaign, run by CILIP, the library and information association, and the School Library Association.
And schools with a higher proportion of children eligible for free school meals were more than twice as likely to have no access to a library.
Primary schools were less likely than secondary schools to have access to dedicated library space. Nearly one in six – 59 per cent – of school libraries were used as classrooms for non-library lessons, the study found, with over half – 51 per cent – used as meeting rooms for school business.”
This study took place in the UK, but it replicates data found in every study in the US. It’s good to look at the issues we all have in common – and quality education is an issue no matter where you live!