In 2015, Softlink published our first feature document, sharing written comments and feedback provided by respondents to that year’s Australia and New Zealand School Library Survey. The feature was titled “What are the top 7 challenges for school libraries”, and drew from responses to one of the standard optional questions at the end of the survey “What is one thing you would change about your library or role?”
Since then, we have published 9 School Library Survey based feature documents with responses to this question, and some more directed questions around trends, collaboration, and innovative ideas.
We recently revisited the first feature, analysing responses from 2018 respondents, this time from across the globe, and thought this was an opportune time to reflect on the vital role school libraries play. Originally published in 2017, “The ongoing importance of school libraries” presents comments from the 2015 and 2016 School Library Surveys.
This feature shares how the library landscape in general, including school libraries, has changed significantly in the last two decades. School library staff and leaders have seen a momentous shift in the services and resources they offer and the evolution continues.
While this can be challenging at times, the truly inspiring thing is how well school libraries and library leaders have adapted. Across the globe library professionals and advocates have identified new opportunities for sharing, innovated access to resources, delivered digital programs, repurposed their spaces and proven, once and for all, the ongoing importance of school libraries.
A summary of the paper has been included below, to download the full feature click here.
Further reading around this topic is available in the ACCESS article “The role of leadership in the Ongoing Importance of School Libraries” written by Softlink’s Director of Marketing, Nikki Curtis. In this article, Nikki presents a view of school library professionals as change leaders and adaptive leaders, by combining theoretical perspectives on adaptive and agile leadership with findings from the School Library Survey.
In this section, respondents reflected on the dynamics of the contemporary school library, their changing roles and the exciting opportunities and challenges they have faced along the way.
This is an exciting time to be in libraries. Change is constant and a challenge to many, but there are so many opportunities to make new types of resources available to our users. Who knows what we will be doing in ten years’ time? That is both exciting and a little scary, but I say “Bring it on”.
Libraries are more crucial now than ever before and we need to ensure we are communicating this at every opportunity and to anyone who will listen. We must also be prepared to re-think how we operate in our environments to align with the new modern learning environments in schools.
School librarians are as creative and proactive in promoting their work as ever, but our increasing use of social media is leading to new partnerships and projects that highlight the impact we can have on teaching and learning. I see the future as one of greater resource sharing and partnerships beyond our traditional school ones.
In this section, respondents commented on the role they play in navigating the digital landscape.
Dedicated librarians have evolved in a relatively short period of time to acquire sophisticated computer skills, which allow them to promote and teach good research skills and information literacy to others. Yes, anyone can do a Google search and find some results. The skill is in assimilating, synthesising, analysing, understanding, and comparing these results, as well as knowing where else to look. This is what a qualified and experienced librarian can do well.
I would like to focus more on providing information literacy skills and digital citizenship teaching, as well as supporting teachers with collated digital and physical resources.
In this section, respondents shared ideas, feedback, and success stories about encouraging a love of reading and literature in their school libraries.
When we opened our library last term we made a “shelfie” booth. Students had their photo taken with the first book they took out of the library - this became our first display. It was a quick way to get their voice and presence into the space.
If students come into the library and leave it with a smile on their face, they will want to come back. It’s exciting to have students tell their teacher, especially replacement teachers, that it is library lesson day and they can’t miss it.
In this section, respondents shared their collaboration examples and described the many innovative ways they support curriculum, learning, and school-wide success.
We have a Literacy Team that meet regularly to discuss new ideas to implement across the college. We have the ‘Word of the Week’ which is displayed in the library and in every classroom. We also run various competitions throughout the year designed to improve literacy.
Collaboration is very important in our library. Many of the decisions we make involve the whole school community, especially the students. This includes the term top 10, purchasing resources and how spaces are used in our library.
In this section, respondents described the evolution of the modern school library into a vibrant and flexible space that promotes connectedness and sits at the centre of school life.
The trend that is the most exciting is that libraries are becoming social and interactive centres. They are hubs presenting workshops, meetings, children’s activities, etc.
Things have changed so much and the whole concept of libraries has changed. This library has become a relaxed and comfortable place to work and a meeting place for students.
Continued advocacy is important to help to address the challenges school libraries face.
The following two comments, drawn from the 2018 Softlink School Library Surveys, describe this from the perspective of the school library professional.
Outside our own library, I’m very aware of school libraries being closed or deprofessionalised and it concerns me greatly. It’s long overdue for government to realize the value of libraries staffed by qualified librarians and I hope the #GreatSchoolLibraries campaign will make a big impact.
Thank you for this survey. We (Teacher-Librarians) need evidence like this so we can continue to ‘fight’ for the importance of this position in our schools. A school library is a special and important space and every student should have access to a trained teacher-librarian and a well-resourced collection. I have been a TL for 33 years and I seem to have been part of this fight for at least 30 of those years.
1. Join the Students Need School Libraries / @NeedSchoolLibs (Australia) and Great School Libraries / @GreatSchLibs (UK) campaigns.
2. Print and share the SNSL 7 Signs your child needs help from their school library flyer and poster to promote the importance of school libraries for all students. Download here.
3. Watch and share this video to promote the value of school libraries
4. Participate in the annual Softlink School Library Surveys for an opportunity to have your comments shared in papers like this - watch our blog www.softlinkint.com/blog/ and Twitter page @SoftlinkEdu for opening dates
5. Share this paper to help get the message out