In 2022, we discovered 1 in 7 state primary schools in the UK lacked a dedicated library or reading space. This figure rises to 1 in 4 schools in the most disadvantaged communities (PSLA, 2022). Yet, we also know that school libraries are vitally important: they not only provide children with access to books at a time when household finances continue to be tight due to the cost-of-living crisis, but they also help to promote reading for pleasure at a time when reading-for-pleasure rates among children are plummeting.
The Libraries for Primaries campaign is a group of organisations that work to address the lack of investment in primary school libraries. Our mission is to ensure that every primary school in the UK has the resources, training and books they need to sustain an engaging up-to-date library at the heart of their school. In the 2023-24 academic year, we worked with 450 primary schools across seven programmes.
Key findings:
Primary pupils reported significant benefits from having a welcoming and well-resourced library:
- 1 in 2 said that they enjoyed reading more,
- 1 in 2 said that wanted to read more things,
- 2 in 5 said that they were more confident readers,
- 1 in 3 said that they read more regularly.
Longer-term impact: When revisiting participating schools one year on, we found that…
- 2 in 3 pupils liked going to their school library more than a year ago, when the programme ended,
- 3 in 4 enjoyed reading now more than a year ago,
- 2 in 3 now read more often than a year ago.
Overall, this evaluation showcases the impact of investment in the transformation and promotion of school libraries and highlights the importance of school libraries in fostering reading at the individual and the school level, both immediately and over time.