School Libraries - A Right

The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) recently issued this statement about School Libraries:


School Libraries – A Right

We believe that throughout their education every child is entitled to:

• Support from designated library staff with extensive knowledge, enthusiasm and experience to advise, encourage and inspire wider reading and reading for pleasure to ensure fair provision for all

• A skilled library practitioner with responsibility and time to help children and young people develop the skills needed to manage today’s information overload, to become lifelong learners and to meet the future job market’s need for problem solvers and independent thinkers

• A safe and secure library environment for learning during and outside school hours, where help, resources and advice are freely available to all

• High quality and wide-ranging library and classroom resources to support their curriculum which have been carefully selected to meet the needs of their age, learning style and ability and organised to provide easy access and availability

• Be valued as an individual, having access to reading materials which are exploited by a knowledgeable person to support the emotional, cultural, leisure and wider needs of the whole person

We believe that every school’s teaching team is entitled to:

A designated library professional who:

• understands the curriculum and pastoral needs of teaching staff and who will support these with managed resources

• will collaborate with staff on curriculum planning and development and be involved in teaching

• will develop partnership working with other key organisations within and beyond the school

We believe that the wider school community is entitled to:

A designated library professional who can play a key role in developing the school as a hub of the community by:

• Building links with the public library service to support children’s learning outside the classroom

• Helping parents and carers to develop an understanding about how their children’s learning is enhanced through access to a range of library resources and advising them about how to access and use these resources with their children

• Ensuring they are equipped with an understanding of the digital literacy strategies needed to educate their children in the safe and ethical use of the internet

February 2011


Further Reading: IFLA/UNESCO School Library Manifesto: the school library in teaching and learning for all. 1999.
http://archive.ifla.org/VII/s11/pubs/manifest.htm UNICEF Convention on the Rights of the Child.1989
http://www.unicef.org/crc/ School Library Association Primary School Library Charter 2010
http://www.sla.org.uk/primary-charter.php