School Library Closures: A shortsighted Catastrophe

This week I joined a conversation on LinkedIn about an interesting article written by Natalie Wexler Becoming and Nation of Non-Readers

It covered how and why children stop reading and included some ideas on how to engage them but not once did it mention the importance of school libraries and librarians in this scenario. I do know that this is not something that is often thought about in such articles but it does make me sad that school libraries and their role in supporting reading is never considered and is such a lost opportunity.

So I took the opportunity to post a comment about school libraries of course... You can find the post and discussion here... but read below for the interesting bits...

Discarded school library (picure created by DALL-E)

"Sorry/not sorry to bang the school library drum again but...so many school libraries are closing and this is part of the problem. Students who do not have books at home can no longer get them from school. The librarian was partly responsible for putting great books into children's hands and encouraging reading but is no longer there. Research shows that schools with libraries and librarians make a difference in student literacy and academic attainment and we continue to ignore this at our children's peril...

It is time schools understood the importance of school libraries and find funding for them, not for something that is a luxury but a whole school essential".

I received a response from Eoin Garland and felt it was worth sharing, with his permission of course. It is always good to hear from people who are not school librarians on this subject. I hope you find it useful. Please feel free to share either on the LinkedIn post or from here...

"Regarding school library closures.

Here in the UK, I’m not sure why this message isn’t making it through to Headteachers, senior leadership teams and teachers themselves. I have watched in horror as school librarians are replaced with unqualified individuals who don’t even understand class marks. School heads and senior leadership teams make a worrying decision like that regularly.

I often wonder what CILIP are doing about this. [I wanted to add here, that CILIP, SLA and Great School Libraries have spoken in parliament this year but do not know of any outcome yet].

The closure of school libraries in the UK is more than just a blow to reading and literacy; it’s an attack on the entire educational foundation students rely on. Libraries are not just rooms filled with books—they are dynamic spaces where students learn to think critically, research effectively, and engage with knowledge in a way that shapes their understanding of the world.

Removing these spaces is an act of incredible shortsightedness, made worse by the fact that such decisions are often handed down by individuals who lack any real grasp of what a library—and a professional librarian—contributes to a school

The notion that cutting libraries will save money is fundamentally flawed. Yes, closing a library might ease a strained budget for a year or two, but the long-term consequences are catastrophic. Without access to a well-stocked library and the expertise of a trained librarian, students lose more than books. They lose a resource that supports every subject, from teaching research skills for history essays to providing materials that enhance science projects and creative writing.

Librarians do far more than organise shelves; they guide students in finding reliable information, foster a love of learning, and help teachers create richer lesson plans. When that is stripped away, students are left to rely on patchy online resources, often without the skills to distinguish credible information from nonsense.

The damage is insidious, spreading far beyond literacy into every aspect of their education. What’s maddening is how these decisions are made. They’re not driven by educators or librarians who understand the ecosystem of a school; they’re pushed through by bureaucrats or administrators focused solely on numbers

These individuals don’t see the library as the beating heart of a school. They see it as a cost centre, something to slash when budgets are tight. It’s a failure to comprehend the holistic value of education, the way every element works together to produce well-rounded, capable students. Closing a library might balance a spreadsheet, but it creates an educational deficit that no amount of rebranding or “digital solutions” can fix.

The worst part is that this is a gamble with children’s futures. By prioritising short-term economic relief over long-term investment, we’re setting students up to struggle. Poor literacy skills lead to poor outcomes in every subject, which in turn impacts career prospects and life chances.

The knock-on effect is a less skilled, less informed workforce—a societal problem that far outweighs the meagre savings made by shutting down a library. This isn’t just a bad decision; it’s a betrayal of the very purpose of education. It sacrifices depth, opportunity, and equality for a quick win that, in the end, is no win at all." Eoin Garland

It really is important that we raise our voices above the noise of AI to help senior leaders understand why school libraries have a huge role to play in raising literacy levels.

Over to you...