School libraries are a vital part of Australia’s reading infrastructure, with teacher-librarians helping young readers find their way and build confidence around reading for fun and enjoyment.
Regular reading for pleasure has a wide range of benefits for our young people.
Students who read for pleasure are more likely to be proficient readers, have better receptive language and expressive language abilities, achieve stronger academic results, have better mental health, and better understand the world around them.
Libraries are a place where children can freely access quality reading materials, explore their interests, boost their learning, and create social networks around books and reading.
“Books are the key to a rich inner world for our children, and qualified teacher-libraries are essential to ensuring that the right books are put into the rights hands at the right time.”
– Andy Griffiths, Australian Children’s Laureate
However, despite these benefits to students, many Australian school libraries are under pressure. Libraries are not currently mandated in Australian schools, and many libraries are facing budget and staff cuts affecting the quality of services and resources available for students.
In a 2024 survey, 51% of surveyed school libraries said they think their school library budget is inadequate and 52% that their school library is not adequately staffed.
In some school communities, we are seeing libraries defunded entirely, and large-scale teacher librarian redundancies.
“A thriving school library requires both skilled support staff and qualified professional leadership.”
– Martha Itzcovitz, President of the Australian School Library Association (ASLA)
That’s why Australia Reads is advocating for school libraries as part of a national plan for reading.
We’re calling on the Australian Government to support schools to create a reading culture through:
- Mandating a library in every school, with qualified staff and collection funds.
- Supporting schools to build a love of reading in students, alongside skills development in the classroom.
- Providing schools with tools and resources to help parents create positive home reading environments.
Support for libraries was front and centre in our recent Parliamentary Friends of Books & Reading event in Canberra, with Co-Chair Dr Carina Garland MP and guest author Sally Rippin, speaking to the importance of school libraries.
“As a child who spent a lot of time in libraries, I want to thank librarians for all that you do. And to acknowledge that space that libraries provide to people in our communities.”
– Dr Carina Garland MP, Co-Chair, Parliamentary Friends of Books & Reading
As part of this work, Australia Reads has joined forces with the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and their school library sector committee and the Australian Coalition for School Libraries (ACSL) to release a statement on the importance of school libraries for supporting reading for pleasure in students.
Find out more about Australia Reads’ policy asks, or explore the latest research, resources and updates from Students Need School Libraries group.