Note on the terminology used in this chapter: The term ‘primary school’ encompasses any primary and preparatory (prep) school setting. The term ‘primary school librarian’ encompasses any adult who runs a state or independent primary school library, from a trained and/or qualified librarian to someone with no prior experience of the role.

Introduction

This chapter explores primary school librarianship issues, including essential skills; library resources; support organisations; developing the reading culture; information skills teaching; and the differences between primary and secondary school libraries and non-library-based book collections. Case studies based on primary and prep school librarians’ experiences are included to provide context.

It is hard to generalise about primary school libraries as each one is run in a different way with variations in their size, stock and staffing. This whole book is relevant to primary school librarians. The aim of this chapter is to look at some key issues rather than to offer a comprehensive guide to how to set up a library. For information about establishing and running a primary school library, see the ASCEL, SLA and CILIP Primary School Library Guidelines website (https://primaryschoollibraryguidelines.org.uk), the LIPSSEE website (https://preplibs.wordpress.com) and the references listed in the Further Reading section at the end of this chapter.

Some UK primary schools do not have a library. Others may not employ a dedicated school librarian. Few have a full-time, trained librarian. The library may be the responsibility of the literacy co-ordinator with a teaching assistant (TA) looking after it for a few hours a week in between their other duties. The Great School Libraries survey findings show that just 38% of primary schools with library space have a designated librarian, as opposed to 95% of secondary schools (Great School Libraries, 2019). This disparity may have a negative effect on students’ enthusiasm for reading at primary school, particularly for those from disadvantaged homes and those who do not own books. One in eight children who receive free school meals do not own a book, with one in eleven of all children claiming not to have any books at home (National Literacy Trust, 2018). There is currently ‘significant inequality of provision in different Nations and between independent and nonindependent sectors [which] points to a clear picture of inequality of opportunity – in turn, impacting on social mobility in disadvantaged communities’ (Great School Libraries, 2019).