Do school libraries make a difference?

Do school libraries make a difference? Some thoughts on the process of evaluating impact Lucy Gildersleeves l.gildersleeves@ucl.ac.uk With thanks to the CILIP Wendy Drewitt Bequest for funding of the pilot phase of this research

School Library Commission: School libraries: a plan for improvement

What the body of research says • Broad and balanced collections combining print, electronic and social media benefit student learning • Good reading resources > motivated readers > builds strong literacy skills > stronger learning • Knowledgeable trained staff support reader development and information literacy > benefit student learning • Knowledgeable, trained staff are better placed to collaborate with teaching colleagues and engage at strategic level in school priorities • The library has value as a space for students

Challenges for measuring performance and impact of school libraries Image taken from transforminglearning.co.uk

The Do School Libraries Make a Difference? research • Draws on the major USA “Ohio studies” model – with significant differences • Connects to National Literacy Trust research into libraries and literacy • Explores use and perceptions of value of the school library and librarian through the views of students and teachers.

Student voices: comments from girls “My school library is a place I can go to do homework” (Girl – Y9) “I go with my friends to the library … we like to talk about what we are reading” (Girl – Y8) “I had to do a debate in class on fashion brands and sweatshop labour … Mrs [] helped me find information online and in the LRC and showed me how to choose bits to make my case” (Girl – Y9)

Student voices: comments from boys “You can be a library helper for community service – I didn’t know librarians did so much” (Boy – Y7) “Sometimes it is quicker finding out things from the books in the library than looking on the internet” (Boy – Y8) “I like it that they give us useful [web links] for my subjects … it’s difficult to know what is the right stuff by myself” (Boy – Y8) “I read a lot – I think my writing is stronger because I like reading” (Boy – Y9)

Student voices: comments from self-confessed weaker readers “The librarian made me try different books and I found some new favourites” (Girl – Y7) “The books are labelled so that you can find ones at your level … I can read better now ... I remember more of the story when I read now” (Boy – Y8) “I don’t really like reading but the LRC has DVDS, stories on CD and sports magazines” (Boy – Y8)

Student voices: LRC contribution to learning “The LRC has helped me to study better. Sometimes in tutor period we go to the LRC and the librarian shows us how to use different resources” (Boy – Y11) “I’m better at working by myself now. I know how to plan my work.” (Girl – Y9) “In history we’ve been shown how to use our research to write our own paper and not just copy. We had a lesson from the librarian on how to put together a bibliography. We will need to use these skills at university” (Girl – Y12)

So what’s the research telling us? Collaborate Communicate

And where’s this taking us? • A structured case bank of good practice and models • ‘Story’ collection of student and teaching practitioner ‘voices’ • Resource bank of links to research and to templates • Further research into transition and continuity of skill growth

Suggested reading Barrett, Lyn (2010) “Effective school libraries”, The School Librarian, vol 58 (3) Autumn pp136-139 Clark, Christina (2010) Linking school libraries and literacy London: National Literacy Trust Goodall, Deborah and Pattern, David (2011) “Academic library non/low use and undergraduate student achievement: a preliminary report of research in progress”. Library Management, 32(3) pp159-170

Hay, Lyn (2005) “Student learning through Australian school libraries – Part 1: a statistical analysis of student perceptions”, Synergyvol 3(2) pp17-30 Hay, Lyn (2006) “Student learning through Australian school libraries – Part 1: what students define and value as school library support, Synergyvol 4 (2) pp27-38

School Library Commission School Libraries: a plan for improvement London: Museums, Libraries & Archives Council; National Literacy Trust School Libraries Work! (2008) 3rd ed (Research Foundation Paper), Scholastic Library Publishing www.scholastic.com/content/collateral_resources/pdf/s/slw3_2008.pdf Streatfield, David, Shaper, Sue & Rae-Scott, Simon (2010) School libraries in the UK: a worthwhile past, a difficult present - and a transformed future? (Report of the UK National Survey) London: CILIP School Libraries Group ]

Todd, Ross (2003) Student learning through Ohio school libraries: a summary of the Ohio Research Study. [also supplementary papers] www.oelma.org/studentlearning.htm Todd, Ross (2001) “A sustainable future for teacher- librarians: inquiry learning, actions and evidence” Orana November pp10-20 Williams, Dorothy & Wavell, Caroline (2001) The impact of the school library resource centre on learning (LIC Research Report 112) Aberdeen: The Robert Gordon University

Do school libraries make a difference?