
Love our Libraries

Is your school library uninspiring and under-used? Take our training course, Love Our Libraries, to learn how to transform your school library and get your pupils loving books.
About the programme
Our school libraries research review shows that school libraries have a positive impact on all areas of pupils’ learning, including the development of reading and writing skills, their wellbeing and overall academic attainment. What's more, our research paper with Nottingham Trent University shows that these benefits are particularly profound for children on free school meals.
Good school libraries also contribute to the development of a reading for pleasure culture. When effectively run by knowledgeable staff, with a range of high quality books and resources, good school libraries can transform whole school reading provision.
Many schools have limited resources and space. Love our Libraries provides inspiration and ideas that will help schools transform reading in their school communities whatever their current provision is.
Online training
We provide evidence-based online training for subscribed member schools which includes resources to help schools audit and develop their reading for pleasure provision, putting school libraries at the heart of their reading communities. Please read the login instructions before you begin.
If your school isn't a subscribed member, find out more about National Literacy Trust membership.
The training includes:
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How to improve your knowledge of children’s books and school library collection
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How to create an effective reading environment
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How to engage the whole school community in reading for pleasure
Further library projects
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World of Stories
Run in partnership with Puffin, supporting primary schools to reinvigorate school libraries and reading spaces and champion reading for pleasure.Learn more -
Great School Libraries
We are pleased to support the Great School Libraries campaign, a three year campaign spearheaded by SLA, CILIP SLG and CILIP.Learn more
School libraries research
Our research shows that school libraries have a positive impact on all areas of pupils’ literacy and learning.
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How children on free school meals access and use their school libraries
We explored how children on free school meals access and use school libraries and how this links to their reading and writing enjoyment, how often they read and write and confidence in their abilities.Learn more -
Understanding the impact and characteristics of school libraries and reading spaces
We explored children and young people’s use of school libraries and conducted a review of international research that has examined the potential impact of school library use.Learn more -
School libraries, literacy and wellbeing
We explored why children and young people do and don't use their school library and how this links to their literacy engagement and mental wellbeing.Learn more
Success stories
Success story
School Librarian Leia Sands describes how the Foyle Primary Library Course has inspired her to fully engage with the whole school community to encourage reading.Success story
Encouraging pupils to engage with reading at Wychall Primary
Kelvin Brown, Governor at Wychall Primary School in Birmingham, found new and inspiring ways to help pupils engage in reading through our Foyle Primary School Library Course.Success story
Inspiring new ideas for Etz Chaim’s school library
Volunteer librarian Clare Zinkin explains how she used the new Foyle Primary School Library Course to transform Etz Chaim Jewish Primary School's library.