The Chief Executive of the Society of Authors, Nicola Solomon, has written to Harriet Harman MP, shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on the subject of school libraries in the UK.
The Society has made the following recommendations:
Primary and secondary schools should be required by law to have a school library and a trained librarian.
Teachers, in all stages of their careers, should be supported through a range of initiatives to inspire a love of reading for pleasure in their pupils.
Schools’ libraries as well as literacy (and literary) strategies (including author and illustrator events) should be specifically acknowledged by Ofsted in their reports.
Various prominent authors have also added comments. Helena Pielichaty says “study after study has shown how children who read for pleasure achieve significantly more, regardless of background, than those who don’t”; Sarah Waters says “the only way in which we will encourage our children to value reading is by demonstrably valuing it ourselves”; and Malorie Blackman says “I have seen and learnt for myself just how much of a difference author and illustrator visits can truly make”. suggesting that the Labour Party pledge to introduce of and support by law libraries in every school in the country. The full text of the letter is here.