How do school libraries fit into CILIP's "Trust Libraries" pledge?

 

I was catching up with the latest CILIP Information Professional (June 2024) at the weekend - yes, I know it’s already mid-July but this time of year is very busy with no less than three family birthdays - and was interested the news feature on page 12 titled “Trust Libraries”. This article was CILIP’s response to the announcement of the election and that’s old news now, but the aim of the feature was to highlight the need for advocacy to a new government with a key message that libraries are “perfectly placed to help transform … political aims into reality” and MPs need to “trust libraries to deliver.”  If you want to read more, you can find it here.

There are 10 pledges relating to public libraries and it’s important for CILIP to advocate for this sector because many councils seem to have forgotten libraries are statutory or consider that one library in a couple of major county towns constitutes “a comprehensive and efficient library service for all” (Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964, Section 7). However, as with many CILIP publications, I found myself thinking that a lot of these pledges are also relevant to school libraries:

·         To deliver trustworthy information and access to culture

One aim of a school library is to provide a range of appropriate, accurate and up-to-date resources to support the curriculum as well as students’ interests. It’s not possible to check every book or website a student is using so it’s important that they can trust the information they’re reading and using. This is why school librarians “curate” their collection … and why it’s important to systematically deselect stock if it no longer meets these standards.
The other aspect of this is that students need to be taught how to evaluate information to ascertain whether it’s trustworthy or not. Too many schools do not have a robust information and media skills curriculum; rather it is delivered piecemeal via various subjects without any overview. This is where the skills and experience of the librarian can play a role - involve and use them!
Many students live in a small cultural bubble. There may be few cultural opportunities within their local community and, even if there are, a lack of parental time and money may restrict participation. School libraries can help fill this gap; by linking books, displays and activities to different cultures, presenting different perspectives and encouraging creativity these cultural bubbles can be expanded.

·         To inform better decisions

Students must often make important decisions impacting their lives and career paths with little experience and whilst they are still developing their emotional intelligence. By providing reliable information, trusted advice and guidance, school libraries can help students make better informed decisions.

·         To offer a warm welcome and safe space for all

Every school librarian will tell you that their library is recognised as a welcoming and safe space within the school. Witness the numbers of students who use it every day – from those who have yet to find their “tribe” to those who need somewhere to recharge before re-entering the busyness and bustle of the school day. Librarians do this by creating an inclusive ethos and diverse collection that represents their community.

·         To champion the right to read and intellectual freedom

School librarians want every student to be a reader! They have a wide range of material within their collections – fiction and information books, comics, graphic novels, manga – in order to tempt even the most reluctant of readers. And they fight for students to be able to read what they want to. I had Daniel Pennac’s “The Rights of the Reader” poster up in my library and would regularly have discussions with students about it.
Intellectual freedom – the right to think, express and access information – occurs daily within schools. The library supports this, not by censoring books but by providing a curated collection of diverse perspectives, different opinions and points of view. School library books are purchased from reputable publishers and the majority are written by experts in their field; thus a book on vegetarianism will also list the disadvantages as well as advantages.

·         To enable learning at the heart of communities and institutions

I feel I don’t really need to expand on this point. Learning is at the heart of every school and whether it’s learning to read, learning to research, learning for formal examination subjects or simply learning about a new interest, the school library is central to it all.

·         To open a world of opportunities, inspiration and ideas

Anyone who works in a school will tell you that there’s always something happening. These activities might involve the entire school, just one year group or even a single class. Whether linked to a national event or unique to the community, they offer a myriad of opportunities, inspiration and ideas for students. School libraries are no exception. I’ve organised author visits and theatre trips, hosted film clubs and Warhammer groups, managed makerspaces and craft circles - the list is endless. Most of these initiatives go unnoticed because librarians see them as part of the job and quietly get on with them, and yet they offer students chances they may not get elsewhere.

The final pledges relate to: fuelling the green economy with data and skills; being ethical partners committed to social justice: supporting start-ups; and unlocking new research. I can’t help thinking that young people currently in schools are going to be working in the green economy. They are learning and developing the skills needed in this environment. Possibly, many of them will create start-ups and work in research. And their future paths are very often activated by a book or article they’ve read, a topic they’ve been able to explore, a project they’ve been involved with – all within the library.

If you’d like to find out more about the impact of school libraries and the sort of things librarians do, have a look at the Great School Libraries website. It’s full of links to research and case studies. And if you think they should receive better recognition and be properly funded, then do have a look at how you can help.

Unlike public libraries, school libraries aren’t statutory but if they can help the government deliver their “political aims” then maybe they need to be higher on the agenda?

 

A Call To Arms For School Libraries?

 

This was not my planned topic of my first blog for 2024. I was talking to friends about New Year Resolutions and book reading targets so was going to write up a few tips about how you can achieve this. But you’ll have to wait for that because my social media has been full of talk about libraries.

First we had twelve Children’s Laurates teaming up with BookTrust to launch their “Reading Together, Changing Children’s Lives” campaign that aims to support families in the early stages of a children’s reading journey. This was followed by Philip Pullman, with the support of Michael Morpurgo and Julia Donaldson, calling on the government to legislate to “ensure all schools in Britain have libraries” and then there’s been Baroness Sanderson’s Review of Public Libraries. I guess I should also mention that the Ipsos Veracity Index has put the category of librarians back on the list, resulting in the profession being the third most trusted in Britain.

I love it when the media talk about libraries because it’s an opportunity for advocacy and there are always people who are astounded to discover that school libraries are not statutory. But all this has a slightly déjà vu feeling about it.

Over a decade ago, I organised a Mass Lobby in support of School Libraries; I learnt a lot about “green carding” MPs during this process! We had placards and T shirts, and marched from Victoria Embankment Gardens to Westminster. Leaflets had been printed explaining why school libraries were important and given out to passers-by, most of whom seemed quite amused by this large and loud group of librarians, although I should add that we weren’t all librarians – we had support from parents, students, authors and illustrators.

The result of this lobby was an APPG Libraries report “The Beating Heart of the School”, published in 2014 with four recommendations:

·         The Department for Education starts collecting figures about the number of schools that have a library and librarian

·         The Minister for Schools examines the full contribution that school libraries make to children's education and development

·          Ofsted includes libraries in their inspections

·         The Department for Education has a lead staff-member for school libraries

If these look familiar it’s probably because very similar recommendations have been made by both Michael Morpurgo and the Sanderson review. Time will tell if any recent recommendations are followed through but, suffice to say, that 2014 Report is still gathering dust somewhere  …

What’s interesting is that in all of this talk about libraries, librarians are rarely mentioned. Now, it may be that the assumption is they are automatically included when libraries are discussed but those of us who work in the school sector know this often isn’t the case and a look at the statistics around school libraries confirms this; the 2023 Great School Libraries (GSL) Campaign report shows that 58% of schools (both primary and secondary) don’t have designated library staff. 

This doesn’t give the whole picture though because “designated library staff” could simply mean somebody assigned for a few hours a week.

I could regal you with horror stories about libraries I’ve visited that are run by volunteers or staff whose main role in the school is not being the librarian so this doesn’t get priority and they often “lose” this time to other tasks. The result is frequently libraries where inappropriate books have been put on the shelves (this regularly happens when a popular children’s author writes a YA or adult book and the person choosing the stock has limited book knowledge); where the majority of the fiction has been written by dead white men; libraries full of books that haven’t been labelled in any way so that picture books are mixed up with chapter books and information books; and libraries where the only supplier used was an Usborne rep so that’s all you’ve got on the shelves (I should say here that I love Usborne books but a library should have a range of publishers amongst their resources).

All this happens because the person responsible for the library does not have the relevant skills or experience, ie: they are not a librarian. You need a librarian to turn a room of books into a library, the same way you need an instructor to turn a room full of bikes into a spin class. You don’t have to take my word for this. There is a growing body of international research-based evidence that shows the impact of having a school librarian - some examples include:

·         A Pennsylvania study showed that  schools that had a full-time librarian, reading scores were consistently better for all students

·         An Australian report found that having a qualified librarian improved student literacy outcomes with up to two month’s learning gain

·         An HMI Ofsted report found that “well-trained specialist librarians had a positive effect on teaching and learning”

·         Research from New Zealand shows evidence that school libraries and library staff have a positive impact on student achievement

·         Scottish Book Trust research indicates that school libraries and librarians have value beyond academic achievement

Experienced and trained librarians bring so much more to a school library and its community. They are not simply curators of books or supervisors of the space; they manage a range of resources (hard copy and online) to meet curriculum and teaching needs of students and staff; they support learning to read, reading improvement, reading for information and reading for pleasure; they help students find relevant resources for educational and personal needs; they deliver information and digital literacy skills teaching; they promote the library resources and services throughout the school community; they engender a range of inclusive activities and events; and they provide a safe and welcoming space.

As I said in a guest blog for BookTrust last year, you can create a wonderful library space full of books but it needs a librarian – to plan and implement strategies and actions that link to school community needs – otherwise it is likely to become a rather tired-looking and muddled room. I know school budgets are at breaking point but you will not get the full package, the full benefits or full value-for-money from your library without a librarian. 

 

Managing Safe & Inclusive Library Spaces - CILIP Guidelines make sense for school libraries too.

 CILIP recently published “Managing Safe and Inclusive Public Library Services: a practical guide” - aimed primarily at public libraries but with references to good practice for other library services such as schools and prisons, and with key principles based around CILIP’s ethical framework, that could be applied across all library environments. I always like to read these documents with my school librarian hat on to see if they could be useful to the sector.

School and public libraries are very similar – they have a varied collection of resources (both hard copy and digital), offer a range of services aimed at their community’s needs, provide internet access, and run activities and events – but they are also very dissimilar. A school library community has specific demographics that come with specific needs. There is a range of statutory DfE requirements that need to be taken into consideration along with bespoke policies that may be applicable to that particular school. The library space is managed within the school day with booked and ad hoc lessons, and many school librarians are solo workers, undertaking all library tasks usually managed by a team.

It should also be noted that the guidance has been written in the context of the growing suppression of freedom of expression, the increase in online harms and attacks on marginalised communities. Certainly the school library sector is not immune from these so it is important to be prepared for any such incidences and to ensure that the safe and inclusive spaces we provide for all students are not threatened or diminished. As the guidance says “don’t be scared but do be prepared.”

The contents are divided into several sections, some of which are more relevant to school libraries than others, and the document is eminently readable, a nice change from other published official guidelines I’ve read this year! I’ve highlighted the aspects that I think are the most applicable to school libraries but it’s worth reading the whole document if you have time.

·         Freedom of expression for libraries: This section is based on Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998 and reinforces CILIP’s ethical and professional commitment within the context of book bans and contested spaces, and the duty of librarians to oppose any form of censorship. The recommendation from CILIP is for librarians to resist the removal of titles, explaining the implications of censorship, and to make CILIP aware of any incidences. This can be hard to do within the framework of a school library. The instinctive reaction of many senior school leaders, when faced with challenges from parents, is to keep the peace and remove the offending item. However, I truly believe this is a slippery slope; once you remove a book merely because somebody has objected to it and not assessed the title against your stock selection policy to determine whether the challenge is valid (or even legal), you have little argument against any other book challenges.

·         Key principles: There are 11 key principles; I’m not going to list them as it’s easy enough to read them fully in the guidance. There’s also a very useful checklist to help library staff consider various issues. All the principles are relevant but some may be of more use to school librarians than others:

- Understanding the law and its limits
Although schools have a range of legal policies and procedures they need to implement, it is important that “access to information, events, activities … should not be prohibited unless it has been prohibited by law.” The reality is that school libraries are “in loco parentis” and need to ensure that their collection and any activities are suitable for the age of the students, which can be difficult when you are working with a range from 11 to 18 years. It can also be hard when parents have different perspectives regarding what they think is suitable for their own children. Nevertheless, we shouldn’t avoid books aimed at older students just because we have younger ones in the school. And we certainly should not let one or two parents determine what is suitable for the whole of the student body to read.

- Reflect on your biases
We are all susceptible to personal biases; I think it’s fair to say that my library collection probably had quite a few books that featured dragons and I had to make a conscious effort to seek out and purchase manga for my students as I’m not a fan myself. So we need to be aware of our own preconceptions and possible prejudices to mitigate their impact. A collection diversity audit can help to overcome this as well as a pro-active approach and training in stock selection, and involve your students in the process to create an inclusive environment.

- Develop appropriate policies
As I’ve mentioned, a school library will be subject to a range of policies that will vary from school to school. The DfE has a list though be aware that these may be different for the devolved nations. Libraries should also have their own policies relating to collection development, weeding, dealing with donations and book challenges, use of the library, IT use, etc. However, it’s my experience that the creation and updating of school library policies receives little attention in most schools. This may be partly because people rarely ask for any library policies. They’re not a statutory requirement and, with most school days filled with a never-ending to-do list and a constant stream of student requests, it’s hard to find the time and motivation to sit down and write them. But they should be the guiding values that underpin your collection and services, ideally linked to the school’s mission, development and relevant policies. And when you receive that book challenge and don’t have a policy to direct the challenger to then it’s almost too late to write it.

- Train your staff
It is important that all library staff are aware of school policies in relation to the library. These tend to be on the website for ease of access so consider adding specific library policies as well. Policies change over time; sign up to the relevant DfE newsletters so you’re not reliant on other staff telling you when they have been amended and ensure you maintain your awareness of any changes in the law that impact on schools. Another important aspect is ensuring staff are aware of library policies, particularly those that deal with book challenges. A parent/carer’s first contact may be with a tutor or member of the SMT rather than the librarian and if they’re not aware of your collection development policy, their first reaction may be to say “they’ll get the librarian to take it off the shelf” – not realising the implications around censorship or the legal requirements of the Equality Act’s protected characteristics. If you have a robust policy in place with clear guidelines and procedures, staff (including the librarian) will have the confidence to deal with any such issues.

- Reflect and learn from experience
As anyone who works in a school will tell you, it is a dynamic environment with constant changes and updates. The library is no exception. This means it is essential that librarians maintain their CPD around the aspects covered in this guidance, and regularly review and adjust any policies.

·         The law and its limits: This section considers intellectual freedom and its limitations in UK law, the Equality Act 2010 and hate speech. These are all relevant to school libraries but it should be noted that public libraries also have byelaws to consider. 

·         Management of stock: The management of library stock is a core function that is on-going and active, changing to reflect the demographics, needs and interests of the school community, and encompassing a range of perspectives and viewpoints. It should be underpinned by a robust collection development policy covering all aspects including selection, weeding, disposal and donations, ensuring the collection is developed according to the policy rather than the personal views or interests of staff, suppliers, parents, etc. However, ultimately, it should be the librarian who makes the final decision as to whether to stock a particular resource; they are the person who knows the existing stock and where there are gaps in the collection, they know the school demographics and students’ interests, they know their readers, and they know the curriculum. Schools need to use their librarian’s experience and knowledge when it comes to collection management.
The section talks about involving others. The majority of school librarians connect with their students to ensure any requests and interests are included in the collection – obviously within reason and assessing for cost effectiveness and suitability. Teacher requests are also taken on board although I find many are unaware of new publications that might be useful within their subject and, in the past, I have ordered requested items only to find, when they arrived, that they were teaching rather than library resources. I soon learnt through this experience!
Promotion is also mentioned and the guidance points out that these activities are to “raise awareness, encourage understanding, improve accessibility and increase library usage” (p29) rather than promoting a particular belief or opinion. I recently saw a post on X (aka Twitter) where a US school librarian said they didn’t put up any Christmas decorations as it wasn’t inclusive. If you follow this thinking through then you also wouldn’t have any displays around Diwali, Hanukkah or the Chinese New Year; surely “inclusiveness” doesn’t mean not celebrating anything but rather including “everyone”? So find out what your school demographics are and make sure you feature displays throughout the year that reflect their festivals and celebrations – this way students will feel welcomed in the library.

·         Public internet access and public spaces: These sections aren’t quite so relevant to school libraries. School internet access will be filtered with many websites blocked (I can remember a student undertaking a project on breast cancer who couldn’t even access the major charities from the library computers) and the school will have its own IT use policy/agreement that all students and parents sign. Likewise, the school library is not a public space; even if the school runs community activities, these are likely to occur outside of school hours when students are not present.

·         Events and activities: Both public and school libraries organise and run a wide range of events and activities. In schools these are often linked to in-house, local or national events and most librarians will have an annual programme designed to entice the school community to engage with the library and to promote sections of the collection. This section (p37 – 45) has a list of possible suggestions that school librarians may find useful, along with some guidance around planning, promoting and evaluating activities and events that could easily be adapted for school library use.

·         Managing challenge: The guidance states that “when considering how best to manage challenges to library services, it is always helpful to work with the governing institution – whether that is a local authority, school board or prison governor (p46).” It really is vital that you have the support of your Headteacher and governing body with regards to your Collection Development policy and procedures for dealing with any challenges. Without this support, you are likely to be one small protesting voice, which could feel rather daunting. If you’re not sure how to approach this, why not write a draft policy and discuss it with your line manager, raising the US book banning situation and the increase of such incidences in the UK. Librarians who have spoken to their Heads about this have reported that the Head had no idea and was shocked, immediately getting involved in creating a procedure for any challenges. If you’re not sure where to start I’ve written a blog about creating a Collection Development Policy.

This is an extremely relevant and beneficial document, and the above is a brief overview. It is unlikely your SMT will read it as they will see it as being aimed at public libraries and thus not relevant to the school library so it may be on you, the school librarian, to extract the pertinent points. At the very least, it will provide you with valuable CPD reading to increase your knowledge around managing a safe and inclusive space – and there’s also lots of links to websites for further investigation.

The DfE Reading Framework - how relevant is it to school librarians?

 

Last month the Department for Education (DfE) published a comprehensive 176-page document titled “The Reading Framework,” accompanied by the tagline: “guidance for primary and secondary schools to meet existing expectations for teaching reading”. I’m always interested in any official documentation that centres around reading – as a school librarian, it’s one of our core functions – so I worked my way through it. I then found myself immersed in the delightful chaos of having my three grandchildren for the week; the 6 and 3 year olds insist on at least three books at bedtime and I’m working my way through Harry Potter 2 with the 9 year old so, by the time I’m finished all these reading escapades, there’s scant time or energy left. But I’ve now gathered my thoughts.

One of my initial actions with such documents is to search for the words “librarian” and “school library” – not sure why as they are rarely mentioned. However, in this document, the term “library” features 25 times, mainly in reference to public or classroom libraries and “librarian” occurs only 6 times. This is mostly in a sentence linked with other adults such as “Library time for every class led by an appropriately trained adult. This may be the school librarian, form tutor or other adult with a particular interest in reading” (p103). I have to admit that I’ve seen the latter part of this sentence featured in way too many job descriptions for school librarians; a disconcerting reminder that those responsible for appointing individuals to this role often lack an understanding of the contributions school librarians actually make.

Nonetheless, I approached the document with my school librarian hat on, not to analyse the whole thing, but to identify potential areas where librarians could support staff in delivering these guidelines and also whether there was any evidence that supported libraries in schools. While most of the content is aimed at primary schools, the advice and suggestions are also apply to secondary schools. It’s worth noting that I found some of the guidance contradictory (for example, it talks about using anything that helps to establish the reading habit but also says that children should not take home books beyond their decoding capabilities) and information is repeated in different sections, making it feel a bit haphazard. It also, for some strange reason, refers to library lessons or library time as “book club time”.

The key objective of these guidelines is to “help schools meet the expectations set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework and the National Curriculum” thus the guidance encompasses primary years and key stage 3 with an audience of “primary and secondary schools in England, other key stage 3 educators, initial teacher training (ITT) partnerships, specialist provision and others” (p5). Its primary audience is not school librarians. However, while it's important to acknowledge that school librarians are not the primary figures responsible for formal reading instruction within a school, they do hold a significant role in the process

It is also crucial to recognise that many primary (and even secondary) schools do not have a librarian; if the document was aimed at school librarians it would be too easy for it to be dismissed with the comment that it’s not relevant because we don’t have that particular member of staff.

The introduction commences with the sentence “reading is fundamental to education” and I wish more senior management would take on this ethos to give support to school libraries who tend to be the main driver for cultivating a reading culture within schools. Section 1 looks at the advantages of reading, backed up by a wealth of quotable evidence and research. While most school librarians are already familiar with this, it could be useful to ensure your Headteacher and Senior Management Team (SMT) (at the very least) are aware of the latest studies as it’s unlikely that they keep up-to-date with school library research. It concludes with the statement: “All educators have a fundamental role in ensuring all pupils learn to read: this means teachers, support staff, senior leaders, Headteachers, local authorities, multi-academy trusts and initial teacher training partnerships” – something that might be worth pointing out as too often reading is seen as being the remit of the English department.

The subsequent sections delve into language comprehension and phonics teaching in Reception and KS1, along with the cultivation of reading fluency in KS2. If you are a primary school librarian a comprehensive grasp of phonics instruction is imperative; how reading is attained through language skills, decoding and comprehension. It’s equally crucial for secondary school librarians as you will have students who are still learning to read although it will be necessary to ascertain whether they need support with decoding or have issues with reading fluency as the strategies used will be different. This knowledge could be useful CPD or ask to be involved in any phonics training within the school.

Emphasising the need for students to read widely, both within school and in their own time, is underscored as is the significance recognising themselves within books and identifying with characters. The guidance also suggest that teachers should introduce students to a diverse range of cultures and perspectives and not just choose the books they loved as children, noting that “stories might be the only place where they meet people whose social and cultural backgrounds and values differ from their own (p90).” This is a positive comment given the recent issues with book banning in the USA but as Open University (OU) research highlighted, the lack of up-to-date book awareness amongst teachers often results in gaps in their knowledge and this is a further aspect where the school librarian can help. As the specialist “book people” within schools, it’s an inherent part of the job to keep up-to-date with new books being published, both by popular and debut authors; what books are being made into films or TV series (so will be popular); genres that are being asked for; what’s being talked about on BookTok, etc. Armed with our specialised knowledge and practical experience we are equipped to ensure classroom libraries and book corners remain current, maintain updated reading lists and furnish recommendations for teaching staff yet too often the invaluable role of the school librarian is overlooked when books are discussed.

Once students have learnt to read successfully then they need to develop reading fluency - reading is a skill and, as with all skills, it needs practice: “reading a lot is the principal way pupils develop as readers (p19)”. This section covers both KS2 and KS3 with the guidance acknowledging that reading aloud, both of stories and for information across the curriculum, increases students’ experiences of reading fluency which has a positive impact. Sadly, this doesn’t happen as often as it should at secondary level - can you help by providing fiction books linked to curriculum topics, engaging book starts, relevant articles, short stories? And do you read aloud to your students in library lessons? I used to read to my lower literacy students, often traditional stories and myths that they’d not had as part of their reading culture growing up. They would sit in silence, transfixed – and I noticed that older students working in the library would take off their headphones to listen too. You’re never too old for a story!

I have to admit, I did wonder if whoever wrote the section on choosing and organising books had ever visited a school library. In primary libraries, it’s customary for books to be categorised into levelled bands or colours but the guidance notes that a different approach is taken by public libraries and bookshops. It also contains the rather perplexing suggestion that students should only be exposed to books that they can decode. What happens with those children who haven’t learnt to read yet? I’ve spent many hours reading to my children (and now, my grandchildren) using books that exceed their reading capabilities. While they haven’t grasped every nuance or inference, they’ve enjoyed the experience and their questions demonstrate an understanding of the story plus they’ve been exposed to language they may not encounter in everyday conversations. I’m a firm advocate for Free Voluntary Reading and find it hard to classify “Biff, Chip and the Magic Key” as reading for pleasure.

I’m not going to dwell on the suggestions for organising book stock as I find them rather haphazard. Phrases like “very short, short and long page-turners” appear quite puzzling. I assume these labels refer to gripping stories although that term is subjective; what I find gripping isn’t necessarily the same as what would grip others. Moreover, the organization of libraries to facilitate easy access for the school community is inherent in the role of librarians. What is interesting in this section is the mention that core book lists should be regularly refreshed and not set in stone – another aspect where the librarian can offer assistance – and that “every book must be worth reading or help pupils to put in the reading miles. Books that are unlikely to achieve either of these aims should be discarded” (p93). A good argument for weeding and getting rid of books that haven’t been borrowed for years, although I know from experience that often the minute I remove a book from the shelves, someone inevitable asks for that title the following week!

Section 8 labelled “Developing a Reading for Pleasure Culture” is the one most likely to be of interest to school librarians and also the one most likely to frustrate as it expands on the role of teachers as influencers and being the best promoters of books. Within my social media bubble are some amazing reading teachers with fantastic book knowledge but sadly this is not always the norm. I’ve been into too many schools where teachers have been responsible for library purchases and filled the shelves with the same old tired authors and I’ve also worked with secondary subject teachers who have stated that reading is not within their remit. I even once had an English teacher who routinely recommended the same book to every single student.

This section presents compelling evidence supporting library lessons and activities. It states reading should be a priority in all schools, that a strategic approach is needed to develop a Reading for Pleasure (RfP) culture with time to read, role modelling, engaging in book discussion and the sharing of reading experiences rather than just a few sporadic book-related events scattered across the school year. The inclusion of storytime in KS2 and KS3 is NOT an indulgence but a beneficial practice as it improves reading fluency and wellbeing although sadly many schools discontinue this practice once students are decoding proficiently. It also mentions the benefits of adults reading aloud, encouraging public library use, and library lessons being part of the timetable (separate from the English curriculum). A couple of points resonated with me. I was pleased to encounter the statement “Teachers should also be wary of restricting pupils to reading books from within one coloured level or band or labelling pupils as being on a specific colour” (p100) – this directly addresses the tendency for some schools who run reading programmes to confine students to reading materials within their level which can diminish reading motivation. Moreover, “reading time should never be used as a sanction” (p102) establishes a foundation; if you have students sent to the library for reading during detention (yes, it happens) you can now cite the guidelines for a more constructive approach.  Reading across the curriculum is not forgotten as it supports knowledge and vocabulary and it’s suggested that talk and discussion should form part of every lesson.

Concerning the leadership and management of reading, the guidelines clearly attribute this responsibility to the Headteacher although they acknowledge that in a secondary school this aspect may be given to a member of the SLT. The guidelines also bring in the role of the literacy lead that manages and supports the teaching of reading in both primary and secondary schools. I think it’s important to distinguish between the pedagogical teaching of reading and its broader aspects, most of which aren’t really covered in any depth; reading for pleasure, reading for information (with the necessary digital and information skills required to access and analyse texts); the cultivation of advanced reading skills such as skimming and scanning; and in-depth sustained reading necessary for exam subjects. As I said in the first paragraph, the guidance is for the teaching of reading.

This is only a brief look at the document but hopefully I’ve touched upon some areas that may be useful to school librarians. My take from it is:

·         Keep your staff, especially your SMT, well-informed about relevant research on the advantages and benefits of school libraries and reading;

·         Explore opportunities for CPD related to phonics teaching and how you can support students requiring additional help, particularly at KS3;

·         Collaborate with your SMT and appropriate staff (such as the literacy lead/literacy coordinator) to develop school-wide reading initiatives;

·         Offer teachers suggestions for enriching their classroom libraries with a diverse range of books, provide reading recommendations and keep book lists up-to-date;

·         Provide suggestions for reading aloud including fiction relating to the curriculum, relevant articles, extracts and short stories.

These guidelines present numerous opportunities for school librarians to showcase their value and offer support. Yet, in order to effectively provide the dynamic and diverse reading material that engages students, caters for evolving classroom libraries and furnishes resources for teachers to utilise, a sufficient budget is imperative to purchase such material in the first place. When considering your next funding proposal, consider linking it to these guidelines.

What is a Collection Development Policy and how do you create one?

I was at a recent CPD event with school librarians and the discussion turned to book banning in US schools. It was interesting how many of them had never heard about this but, I guess, if you don’t spend a lot of time on social media then it’s possible the current situation may not have crossed your radar. However, I was also surprised at the number of librarians who didn’t have a collection development policy. There were lots of reasons given for this: they had never felt they needed one; they used to have one but no one looked at it; nobody had asked for one; and, the most common, they didn’t know how to write one or what to include. Hence this blog …

It is understandable that, if you are never asked about your collection development policy and any mention of “maybe we need a collection development policy” is met with blank looks, you are unlikely to spend time writing one when you have a myriad of to-do things on your list.  But a robust policy will guide the strategic development of the library, providing clear guidelines and criteria for the selection of material as well as allowing you to make informed decisions regarding deselection, funding and purchasing. It will align the library goals with those of the school, ensuring resources are diverse, inclusive and of relevance to the school community, support intellectual freedom, reduce bias and censorship, and give you a clear structure to follow in the case of any challenges to resources, taking into account both legal and ethical respects.

So what do you include in your policy? Some considerations:

A clear and concise mission statement: this should reflect the educational values and objectives of the school, and determine the purpose and goals of the library collection. Such as:

“The mission of the school library is to foster a love of reading, inspire intellectual curiosity and engender students to become critical thinkers and lifelong learners. The library supports the academic, social and emotional growth of all students, providing an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity and respect for different perspectives with material that allows students to explore a wide range of ideas and voices.”

“The mission of the school library is to provide a welcoming and inclusive space where students can explore, discover and learn. It supports the academic and personal growth of all students by providing a wide range of resources, fostering a love of reading and supporting the development of media and information literacy skills.”

The selection criteria for all resources. This should state that the collection will reflect the school curriculum and interests of the students as well as providing resources for recreational and academic reading, wellbeing and social development that are relevant, accurate, up-to-date and current. It should also say that resources will support cultural diversity and a wide range of ideas, opinions and viewpoints.

Incorporating the Equality Act 2010 into your policy ensures it aligns with the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion – be specific and identify the protected characteristics as not everyone may be aware of what they are; the DfE have produced useful information relating to the Equality Act and schools. You can then say that resources will cover and represent all protected characteristics. The Equality Act 2010 states that a school cannot “discriminate in the way it provides pupils access to any benefit, facility or service.” It also cannot employ indirect discrimination, for example, by not having any books with LGTBQ+ characters or that mention LGBTQ+ relationships, as this has the effect of putting people with a protected characteristic at a disadvantage with the school is failing to provide equitable access to information. Nor can one group deny the needs of another.

Librarians use their professional judgement and experience when buying resources, taking into account the needs of the school community to ensure that they have a wide range of material for all ages and abilities.  Maintaining this book knowledge requires continual CPD as well as an awareness of resources that are being promoted on social media amongst teens and young people and what may be deemed controversial but this can change with time. The rewriting of Roald Dahl books is evidence of this; my Year 1 grandson told me that his class reader was Matilda but “the old one not the new one” – I’m not sure if he is even aware that they’ve been rewritten but his teacher obviously felt that she needed to emphasise this in case parents questioned which version was being used.

Format of resources held such as hard copy and ebooks, audio and visual resources. These will vary from school to school.

Access to the collection. This section will detail how students and staff can access library materials and, again, will vary in each school. It will depend on how library resources are categorised within the library and the ages of your students. In some libraries, resources are kept within one large collection allowing students to borrow from anywhere in the library whilst others have books in different sections, such as a sixth form collection, senior fiction, Year 9 and above, etc. and restrict borrowing to those groups, with exceptions being made if the student has parental permission. Some schools operate an opt-out rather than opt-in system for this. In other libraries, stickers are used on books to denote more mature content and the Library Management System (LMS) can be used to restrict access to any resource. Regardless of what system you use there will always be anomalies but you may find it useful to include a statement such as “The library will not knowingly hold resources that are felt to be discriminatory or inappropriate but parents should recognise that material with challenging content or adult themes will not be censored or excluded.”

I used to have a senior fiction collection which contained books for older readers, some of which were published as adult books, for example, Stephen King. However, I had two copies of some books - for example, Lord of the Rings – one in the main collection and one in senior fiction, and I also placed my classics in senior fiction as I felt they put off younger and reluctant readers from browsing the shelves but allowed any students to borrow them.    

School librarian, Carol Webb, has created a book plate that she uses in the front of possible problematic classic texts, for example, The Secret Garden, acknowledging content and providing a range of questions for discussion. This is done with the hope of creating awareness and discourse.

Books have no legal age rating; they are simply published as either children’s or adult books. Some of the former may have recommended ages on them but, unlike videos, these are not legal requirements and there are many adult books that would be perfectly suitable for children assuming they had the reading maturity and stamina to get through them. Additionally, parents and carers need to understand that, in a school where students range from 11 – 18 years and share the same library space, there will be resources aimed at older students that may not be suitable for the younger ones. Assessing each book’s suitability can be difficult involving the reading level of the book, the contents, the themes covered and in how much detail, inferences within the text, as well as taking into account the individual student and their maturity and personal circumstances. Those who are part of any school librarian community will know that there are constant discussions about age appropriateness for various titles and, as it’s not possible to read every single book, we need to rely on the knowledge of other professionals in the field. The placement of a book is also not set in stone and many librarians will move books from one section to another.

Collection maintenance. Any collection needs to be evaluated and weeded regularly to ensure it meets the evolving needs of the school community, which do not remain static, as well as societal and cultural changes regarding language and ideas. Students’ interests change, authors wane in popularity, and every year there are new books published and award winners to be read. Genres also go through phases of popularity as those in school libraries during the Twilight films will attest to. The criteria for purchasing items should be applied when you are weeding your collection; is it relevant, accurate, up-to-date and current?

The procedure and criteria for accepting donations needs to align with that of selecting resources. Most school librarians are happy to accept donations; in fact, with some budgets being almost non-existent many rely on these to increase their stock. However, not all donations are suitable – many is the time I’ve been presented with a large box of books, all published over thirty years ago or they’ve been titles that I know will just sit on the shelves and never borrowed. School libraries have limited shelf space and every book needs to earn its place. It is, therefore, important to state that unsuitable donations will be given to charity or recycled.

The procedure for book challenges should be part of the policy. If a parent/carer is unhappy with a book their child has brought home and they feel it is inappropriate or unsuitable for their child they need to know who to contact and what will be done about their concerns. Communication should be open, with everyone able to express their viewpoints and perspective but, whilst individual values and beliefs should be respected, the library has to provide a diverse range of books and one person should not be able to dictate what other students can or cannot read and you may have to explain the Equality Act to them, referencing the school’s policy on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). There are options: often the assurance that their child will not be able to borrow such books in the future is enough to reassure them but you may want to assess the book to determine whether it should be moved to another, restricted, section of the collection or removed. Whatever decision is made should be based on educational and professional judgements not personal bias and the rationale should be given. This process needs to be fair and consistent – even if your favourite book is challenged!

Things to consider:

·         Ensure you are familiar with the Equality Act and how it relates to resources and services in schools.

·         Ensure you, as the librarian, have responsibility for collection development and management but also consider who makes the final decision in the event of any challenges. Will your professional judgement and experience (and that of other school librarians) be taken into account?

·         Ensure you are familiar with the CILIP, CILIP SLG and SLA joint statement on censorship and intellectual freedom in school libraries. Add it to your library handbook and put a link on your library website. The SLG & SLG are running a series of webinars on censorship in May which will be available to members on their websites; these will provide useful CPD on this area.

·         Think carefully about adding trigger warnings. Some books have these already on the back and they can be added to the LMS as keywords or noted in the front of the book. However, it is likely that you will miss some and so students need to be aware that not all trigger warnings may be covered in every book.

·         Decide what your policy is for students who bring in their own books from home that are not suitable for their age group. This has become more of an issue since the popularity of BookTok and most librarians ask them to bring something else to read.

·         Involve stakeholders in creating your policy. This gives them ownership and the multiple sources of input will likely result in a more balanced document. If you can include a member of your SMT, even better! But don’t worry if you don’t get much interest – don’t let this stop you from writing your policy.

·         If you already have a policy, review it and revise, if necessary, to incorporate commitment to an inclusive collection that underpins the school’s commitment to diverse perspectives and intellectual freedom.

·         Put your collection development policy on the school website. This is where other school policies can be found and, likely, will be the first place parents look when wanting to contact the school about an issue.

Remember, writing a collection development policy should not be a long and complicated process; in fact, it should be clear and concise document. It can (should) be revised and updated so it is better to have something rather than redraft and redraft until you feel you have the perfect policy for publication. If you wait until you think it’s perfect, it will never get done (a bit like this blog – I’m sure there are other things I should and could have mentioned)! It’s also easier to engage people if you have a draft for them to work with.

Finally – I’ve occasionally met the attitude “I don’t want to mention book challenges in case it gives people ideas” – a sort of hide your head in the sand approach. However, recently a school librarian said that they mentioned the US situation to their Head who was appalled and immediately got on board with having a collection development policy; forearmed is better than being unprepared.

 

 

 

Ofsted report: "Now the Whole School is Reading" - what does it tell us?

Last month (October 2022) Ofsted published a report titled “Now the whole school is reading”: supporting struggling readers in secondary school. I was immediately intrigued as to what their guidance suggested and it makes interesting reading as, for once, it mentions school librarians! Those who regularly read such reports will know that libraries rarely feature in them, even when the subject is relevant.

The findings are based on research visits to six secondary schools. The schools were selected as they had a higher-than-expected proportion of students who were poor readers get grade 4 or above in English GCSE. Evidence used included:

·         Research literature

·         Autumn term 2021 inspection data

·         Discussions with English specialist inspectors

·         Discussions with staff and students at the six schools

The executive summary states that the ability to read is “a fundamental life skill. It is essential to us all if we are to participate fully in society”. This should be obvious to anyone; without the ability to read, students are unable to succeed in exams and move into further education or training, and thus into employment. This has a lifelong impact. It also highlighted the fact that students who arrive in secondary school with poor reading skills are unlikely to catch up; only 10% of disadvantaged children who leave primary school reading below the expected level get passes in GCSE English and Maths.

The summary also makes a statement about those who are poor readers reading less. Reading is a skill and needs to be practiced but if you don’t like doing something and struggle at it, you tend not to choose to do it – I don’t like running so don’t choose to do it in my free time, even though the experts tell me it’s good for me, it fits into my schedule and is cheap! Studies show that reading increases vocabulary and general knowledge; clearly reading non-fiction will do this but it’s also amazing what you can learn from reading stories so students who are not reading won’t have those advantages and are likely to struggle with comprehension as they come across more advanced texts. This is why, as librarians, we try and get students to move out of their comfort zone and read a book that may be more challenging; reading the same story over and over again isn’t going to introduce new vocabulary, facts or ideas.

So what are the main findings of the report and how can we use these to provide a better service for our school communities?

·         Senior leaders prioritised reading.
This should come as no surprise; for most initiatives to be successful they need the support of the Senior Management Team (SMT aka SLT). In the schools visited, there were whole school reading strategies that were part of the curriculum and the SMT shared their commitment thus increasing the visibility of reading across the school. It is important that librarians are involved in this and have input into any reading policies and tactics – they are a natural fit. Are you part of the planning group for whole school reading? Are your SMT aware of your lessons and activities around improving students’ reading skills and the impact these have? Do you feedback any relevant information about students and reading to staff?

·         Schools accurately identified gaps in students’ reading knowledge and shared information about struggling readers with all staff.
There are various reasons why students may be poor readers. Diagnostic testing will ascertain whether this is due to fluency rates, word reading and accuracy, or phonic knowledge thus enabling bespoke interventions. Sharing this information enabled a consistent approach throughout all lessons – and this should extend to library lessons. We can’t provide consistency if we’re not given relevant information that enables us to  support individual students – remember, one size doesn’t fit all and the more we know about why students are struggling with reading, the more we can help them.

·         Staff who taught reading had the expertise they needed to teach weaker readers.
The featured schools trained staff who would be working with struggling readers so they had relevant expertise. These staff disseminated that training to others within the school. If your school is investing in such training then it’s essential that you, as the librarian, are involved as it’s likely you will be working with the weaker readers – it’s surprising how much teaching school librarians do, something that many people don’t realise.

·         Schools had clear procedures in place to monitor this teaching and its impact on struggling readers.
By regularly assessing the progress of students, the effectiveness of any strategies could be ascertained and adjustments/changes made. This is so important; there’s no point in carrying on with something if it’s not working and any library programmes need to be included in this assessment. Do you monitor the success of your library activities? Do you report back to SMT what’s successful and why? This can help them make informed choices regarding future strategies.

A few other things jumped out at me from this report.

The first was that schools tended to stop additional support with reading once students reached Year 9 or moved into KS4. None of the schools monitored progress beyond this. I know this is probably due to time, budgets and the introduction of the very full GCSE curriculum but it’s such a shame. It meant that the schools had no idea whether students still struggled with reading – though I guess ultimately their exam results may show this – or the long-term impact of previous interventions. As some students remarked that they “felt less enthusiastic and motivated to read for pleasure by the time they reached key stage 4” there is clearly a huge role for the school librarian here. However, the caveat is that students need time to access appropriate resources and the library needs to consider promotional material and activities aimed at this target group. I know from my involvement with the UK Pupil Library Assistant of the Year the impact the library can have on older students, not only with their continuing reading for pleasure but also by providing a space for their good mental health and wellbeing.

Secondly, the report recognised the importance of skilled librarians. Not simply staff running the library and keeping it tidy but professionals who were able to be part of the whole school reading initiatives and play an active role - three of the six schools had at least one professionally qualified librarian. CILIP, the library and information association, offers librarians the opportunity to obtain professional qualifications and has a special interest group for school librarians (SLG) with resources and support available for those that wish to explore this further.

Finally, whilst there is plenty of research into primary reading there is little undertaken with older students and most of that is outside the UK. This is an area that needs to be addressed given how a lack of reading skills can impede older students’ life choices.