The recent crisis would have been a real problem if school libraries were only about the library space and the physical collection. Thankfully this is no longer the case and has not been for years. Yes, there were adjustments to be made but all in all school librarians stepped up to the mark in their hundreds. I would love to say thousands but unfortunately, as school budgets change so does the apparent need for a school librarian.
During lockdown, the Great School Libraries campaign, organised by CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals), CILIP SLG (School Libraries Group) and the SLA (School Library Association), worked together with school librarians to ensure that they had access to the resources they needed as they appeared. Many publishers and online resource suppliers provided resources free during lockdown, and it was great to see everyone pull together. The Great School Libraries campaign website has some great lockdown case studies that demonstrate the role of the school librarian during this time, from ebook collections to online resource support and more (Great School LIbraries, 2020).
All of this amazing work has been done in dire circumstances but what happens when life and work get back to normal? Normal for many school librarians is very frustrating. Normal for many school librarians is hidden behind the lack of understanding of what a school librarian does and normal for many school librarians is a constant battle to demonstrate the expertise hidden behind the school library door.
But why is this? Ask many schools what their school librarian does and you will get many different answers. Most will say that they keep the library tidy and issue and return the books alongside supporting Reading for Pleasure and yes, this is part of their job but there is so much more and getting that message out there has been very difficult.
Why do not all schools have school librarians?
I should start by explaining why school libraries are not what they should be. Currently in the UK, there is no statutory legislation for schools to provide a school library with a qualified librarian. Because of this, schools who have very difficult financial constraints on their budgets can choose not to employ a qualified librarian or not have a library at all if they wish. Now thankfully many schools do still see the important link between school libraries, literacy and Reading for Learning. The Great School Libraries campaign carried out a survey in 2019, for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and reported that many schools, especially in England, did have school libraries but were not likely to employ a qualified school librarian. However, schools in areas of deprivation were less likely to have one at all, which is very concerning (Great School Libraries, 2019).
What we have seen over the years is schools who know and understand the value of books and reading to students have tried to maintain some kind of library service for their students. Some have employed school librarians on very low wages which does not attract qualified librarians, but instead, people who are happy to work in school libraries and to do the job that everyone thinks school librarians do… keep the library tidy and issue and return books and support Reading for Pleasure.