Calls for school library mandate as students miss out on vital service

Australian school libraries have been phased out in countless schools across the country as concerned teachers sound the alarm for the many kids who are losing access to this essential service.

At many major public schools, students have been forced to rely on council-run mobile libraries, while others have seen their school library become a shared space for overflow* classrooms or computer labs.

Without reliable national data to draw on, advocates have shared stories of some schools that have downsized their “school libraries” to become mere bookshelves in a hallway.

A number of public schools, such as Henley High School in Adelaide, which has over 1300 students, have now come to rely on local council mobile library services. The school’s library was scrapped 10 years ago “to repurpose* its space into classrooms … after the school determined the majority of its books were nonfiction and that information could be sourced digitally,” according to a South Australian education department spokeswoman.

Students at Mornington Secondary College in Victoria have launched a petition demanding a school library to serve their student body of nearly 800 students.

The rapid move to digitalise education has come at the expense of good, old-fashioned school libraries, despite parents calling for more screen-free spaces.

The Students Need School Libraries (SNSL) campaign has entered its tenth year of advocating* for well-resourced libraries in every Australian school as a federal requirement*.

SNSL co-ordinator and teacher-librarian Hajnalka Molloy said the decline has been due to a range of factors, with poor funding and lack of a school library mandate* some of the key challenges.

“Because there’s no mandate, it’s left up to site-based* decision,” she said. “And principals have to make difficult decisions with tight budgets.”

Ms Molloy said decision-makers were also often unaware of the importance of well-resourced* libraries and qualified staff in schools.

This lack of awareness has seemingly been in stark contrast to the views of policymakers over in the UK.

Last year the British government announced they would mandate libraries in all public primary schools by 2029 by unlocking £132.5 million ($253 million AUD) in funding.

Ms Molloy and other advocacy groups such as the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) have expressed hope the Australian government will do the same.

“The provision of school library services across the country is inconsistent, inequitable* and declining,” ALIA chief executive Cathie Warburton said.

“There is no national data and no requirement for schools to have a library or to report on whether they have a school library with qualified staff.”

The SNSL campaign has also been pushing for a national audit* to reveal exactly how many schools across the country operate without a library.

Both of these objectives – a library mandate and a national audit – were suggested to federal Education Minister Jason Clare before Book Week, but he did not respond directly.

Teacher-librarian Ms Molloy said libraries were more than just a home for books.

“The library is a dynamic space where students come and play board games, Lego, and generally make and create,” she said.

“Libraries have always been a safe space for all students. For some students, particularly those who find schoolyards overwhelming, it is a safe … warm and welcoming space.”

Fortunately, not all libraries have been taken away.

The library has remained “the heart” of Goodwood Primary School in Adelaide, providing a place where students can relax and reflect.

“We don’t have a lot of space, so it can get quite loud and the library acts as a haven,” acting principal Anthea Bartlett said.

“It does support wellbeing, being a quieter space to relax and reflect.”

Ms Bartlett said the decline of school libraries was “a shame and a missed opportunity”.

Despite refusing to commit to a library mandate or national audit, Education Minister Jason Clare has been glowing in his praise of libraries.

“A great library and a great teacher librarian can help a child find the book that gets them hooked,” he said. “And when kids have got their head in a book, they’re also off their screens.”

A Victorian education department spokesman said the government promoted libraries and readings through programs such as the Premier’s Reading Challenge and libraries being in all 121 new schools built since 2017.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• overflow: when there are more students that usual and there needs to be extra classroom space
• repurpose: when something is used for a different purpose
• advocating: working really hard for positive change
• federal requirement: a rule that applies across the country
• mandate: a rule that all schools must follow
• site-based: decided on by individual schools
• well-resourced: enough government funding for a good collection of books and to employ a school librarian
• inequitable: not fair or equal
• audit: an official check of every school

EXTRA READING
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QUICK QUIZ
1. What reasons have been given by schools for reducing or removing their library services?
2. What role does a library serve within a school?
3. In what way do libraries benefit student wellbeing?
4. Which country is introducing a library mandate in public schools?
5. What are two measures library advocates are calling for?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Libraries rule!
Brainstorm a list of all the benefits a school library offers students. Include academic and wellbeing advantages and what it offers to students in your school.

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Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
What could be the future problems of replacing physical libraries with digital versions?

What do you think it means when an acting principal states that the decline in libraries is a “missed opportunity”?

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
What happens next?
Imagine the full story turns out to be in three parts and this article is only Part One. Think about what the rest of the story could be and write the next two parts that tell the rest of this story.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Critical and Creative Thinking