A Vision for the
Future of A
School Library
Evaluation of service performance and recommendations for
improvement in developing a school reading for pleasure culture
I gave this presentation to my senior management team (SMT) in
October 2021 after being librarian at the school for 3 years. During that
time, I had observed and reflected upon the reading culture of the
school, how the library was used and how the role of librarian was
viewed. I had examined the organizational context of my role and
evaluated the service performance of the library and myself as librarian.
This presentation is the result of those reflections and sets out my
recommendations for improvement and desired outcomes for the library
in future. Further annotations to the presentation that I gave are in red.

The reasons for this presentation are to consider:
 The purpose of the library and how it can best
serve the interests of the pupils
 The role of the librarian
 What do we mean by “reading”?
 The fabric and physical space
 Budget implications

What is a school library for?
“A school’s physical and digital learning space
where reading, enquiry, research, thinking and
creativity are central to the students’
information to knowledge journey and to their
personal, social and cultural growth.”

My vision for the library
 A place to read for pleasure and enjoyment
 An oasis of calm that is good for mental health and wellbeing
 Comfortable and welcoming but also tidy and organised
 A place to escape into the realms of imagination and to be creative
 To support independent research and enquiry
 Varied and up to date stock
 Freely accessible
 Busy with book related activities

Why have a librarian?
 Knowledge of the stock – bespoke recommendations
 Fun extra-curricular activities: book clubs, author visits, awards,
quizzes, themes and events
 Someone to talk to (not a teacher)
 Freedom to choose books without being judged
 Teach library skills
 Respond to requests and reservations (staff and pupils)
 Develop responsibility (Pupil Librarians)
 Reading aloud
 Maintain order! (tidying, labelling, repairing, …)
 Makes the library more accessible
 Promote reading for pleasure

What do we mean by “reading”
“Children may learn to read in a classroom but
in a library they learn to be readers”
How can we balance instructional reading with reading for pleasure?

Benefits of reading for pleasure (rfp) =
choosing to read of own free will
 Improves literacy skills
 Improves all round academic attainment
 Lifelong skill
 Relaxing and stress relieving
 Builds empathy
 Builds self confidence, resilience and a sense of self
 Introduces wider world ideas
 Fosters creativity and fires the imagination
 Leads to more independent learning
 An strong indicator of a child’s future success (in work and economically)
 It’s fun!

How to encourage reading for pleasure?
Allow choice
Role models
Book talk
Whole school culture
Note: I showed a photo of a box of vegetables because when I gave the presentation I said that just as you
won’t encourage a child to eat vegetables by telling them that they’re good for them, likewise a child doesn’t
read because you tell them it’s good for them. You have to give them choice, show them that you enjoy it, have
an expectation that they will read rather than forcing it on them.

Library S.W.O.T. analysis
Strengths:
 Leadership team and other staff (English, Juniors) are very supportive of reading and value the library (reading culture)
 Library is well stocked (over 3500 books) and has an allocated budget
 A “feature” space which is impressive to potential parents and visitors to the school
 There is a librarian post and Year 8 librarians
 Used by Years 2 to 8 for weekly library lessons
 Some accessibility outside lessons
 Libresoft system for issuing and returning books
 Centre of book related activities (Book Fair – Author visits – Children’s Book Award – Book Clubs)
 Furniture is moveable to allow use for other events
 Other staff supportive of reading and willing to participate in reading related activities

Library S.W.O.T. analysis
Weaknesses:
 Not a child-friendly space (insufficient comfortable seating – high ceiling and wood panelling are limiting – blind spots where trouble occurs! – more picture books)
 Furniture is becoming worn and does not show books to full advantage
 Shared with After School Club which limits use and access after school
 Lack of IT hardware (e.g. large screen) limits use
 Librarian is part time (and part TA) and needs to communicate better with other staff
 Library lessons could be more varied (boys are not taught how to use the library)
 Requires more space for books and better lighting
 A compromise – does not serve youngest or oldest pupils well – or adults – Not used for whole school (Reception and Year 1)
 Under used for research and quiet study
 Old building – difficult to maintain?
 Incompatible with table tennis! (Difficult to hold a lunchtime book club – also Reading Lab. impinges on rfp activities)

Library S.W.O.T. analysis
Opportunities:
 If there was a screen, more PCs and no ASC then the library could be used much more flexibly:
 a more intimate place for presentations (e.g. author visits, talks to parents about reading)
 extra work space for staff and boys
 extra-curricular clubs and events after school? (e.g. creative activities around rfp, family book club, storytime)
 Use free online resources in library lessons
 If librarian was dedicated to the library and present in all library lessons:
 Could introduce library skills, small group reading, information literacy, reading games, share knowledge of stock
 Teacher could use that time more flexibly if lessons shared with librarian?
 Mental health and wellbeing could be better supported? (a safe space)
 Expand cross-curricular links(currently under-utilised) – non-fiction to support subject areas e.g. science book prize
 Use Gap students and other staff to promote reading
 Take the library outside?!
 Involve parents?

Library S.W.O.T. analysis
Threats:
 Budget
 Annual increase needed to maintain book stock (from <£1800 to >£2500 p.a.)
 IT - Screens cost £1000 each plus cost of cabling (not easy to do well)
 Complete refurbishment (£???)
 Ageing fabric of the building
 Studies show decline in reading at home and boys have historically been more difficult to engage with reading than
girls
 Lack of respect for books (loss/damage to books)
 Ever increasing competition from online world
 How to maintain relevance to pupils now and in future?

Next steps:
 Decide how the library is to be used – e.g. Expand IT or purely for books? Research and
support wider curriculum or just for reading? What are library lessons for? I am
currently working on a library policy and handbook to answer this
 Prepare a library development plan within the school development plan This is ongoing
 Plan should include defining the role of the librarian
 If a long-term vision can be agreed, then the short-term spending and staff resources
can be targeted to contribute to overall aims
 Information resources:
 IAPS Guidelines for Prep School Libraries
 “Get Everyone Reading” A primer on reading for pleasure by Alec Williams for SLA
 Open University Reading for Pleasure website ourfp.org

Key questions:
 What is the purpose of the library? (and library lessons?)
 What is the role of the librarian?
 How can we promote reading for pleasure as a
whole school and does this require a change in
mindset about how we think about reading?

“A library is the heart
of a school and
central to academic
success as well as
wellbeing for pupils,
staff and families”
I was given positive feedback from this
presentation, and it has formed the basis of
my targets to date. I followed up with
another discussion with SMT on 23rd January
2023 which will feed into my library policy
and development plans