Joint release from The Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals and The School Library Association
Two leading professional bodies, the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP) and the School Library Association (SLA), have called on Hertfordshire County Council to review its decision to close the Schools Library Service. The Council announced in December 2011 that it would close the service on 31 March 2012.
CILIP and SLA have contacted school Head Teachers in Hertfordshire and asked them to urge the Council to re-think their decision and consider alternatives to closure.
“I am incredibly concerned about the impact that the closure will have on children’s education and attainment,” said Annie Mauger, Chief Executive of CILIP, “The service has a well-deserved reputation for excellence and its closure will be a blow to hundreds of schools and thousands of children across Hertfordshire. The decision to close the service has been taken at short notice and I can see no evidence that the Council has considered alternatives, such as restructuring. Hertfordshire is a truly outstanding service and deserves to be fought for.”
Tricia Adams, Director of the SLA added, “With so much national attention focused on improving literacy standards and the importance of reading to support educational achievement this should not be the time to close a service that helps schools address these issues.
Schools Library Services help schools promote reading for pleasure and develop pupils’ research skills. They provide expert advice on the planning and management of school libraries and the learning resources available to support the curriculum. They enable schools to buy print and e-resources at discounted prices. The service is especially important for primary schools as they do not have a professional librarian on their staff as most secondary schools do. ”
Schools Library Services (SLS) are run by local authorities for schools. The way services operate varies across the country.
A Times Educational Supplement survey of SLS provision in 2011 showed that an estimated 600,000 children around the country no longer have access to the work of a Schools Library Service
To help schools see where their nearest SLSs are available the SLA has produced an interactive map. The map gives a clear picture of the distribution of SLS across the country and highlights those areas without any service available to them. The SLA has produced a map of Schools Library Services www.sla.org.uk/sls-map.php.
CILIP and the SLA are supporting the campaign to SHOUT ABOUT school libraries and Schools Library Services.
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Press contacts:
Mark Taylor, Director of External Relations
The Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals
Tel: 020 7255 0654
Mobile: 07792 635 305
Email: mark.taylor@cilip.org.uk
Tricia Adams
Director, School Library Association
Tel: 01793 791785
Mobile: 07532 231946
Email: tricia.adams@sla.org.uk
Notes to editors:
1. Hertfordshire Schools Library Service (SLS) provides professional support to schools in the county on a traded basis. In 2011/12 approximately two thirds of SLS income will come from direct buy in from schools. The current trend of buy in is declining, resulting in a fall in income and a predicted deficit for 2011/12 of £41,000[1].
Approximately a third of SLS income comes from the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) centrally retained education budget. Proposed national changes to school funding has led to uncertainty regarding the amount of funding the SLS will receive from central education budgets in the future[2]. The preferred option is to delegate as much of possible of the budget that remains with local authorities to schools, and if this option is implemented there will be no prospect of further DSG funding for the SLS after 31 March 2013.
On October 19th 2011 The Schools Forum was asked to consider whether it would increase funding from centrally-retained budgets to keep the SLS going[3]. The Forum agreed to fund the service at the existing rate for 2012/13, but cannot provide additional funding to underwrite current or future deficits[4].
On December 7th 2011 a report written by Andrew Bignell, (Head of Libraries, Culture and Learning) and Michele Murphy, (Principal Librarian: Customers & Communities), was discussed at a meeting of the Hertfordshire Local and Libraries Cabinet Panel. The report stated that the combined effect of declining levels of buy-in and the unavailability of additional funds from the DSG would increase the SLS budget deficit further, making the service unviable. It recommended that the SLS should close on 31 March 2012[5]. The decision to close the SLS was ratified by the Cabinet on 19 December 2011.
2. The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) is the leading professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge managers. CILIP’s vision is a fair and economically prosperous society underpinned by literacy, access to information and the transfer of knowledge. CILIP is a registered charity, no. 313014. Visit www.cilip.org.uk for more information.
3. The School Library Association (SLA) is an independent charity that believes that every pupil is entitled to effective school library provision. The SLA is committed to supporting everyone involved with school libraries, promoting high quality reading and learning opportunities for all. www.sla.org.uk
[1] Future Funding of the Schools Library Service. Report of the Director of Health and Community Services. Author Michele Murphy (Principal Librarian: Customers & Communities). 19 October 2011
[2] Consultation on school funding reform: proposals for a fairer system. Department for Education. July 2011 (consultation closed October 11th)
[3] Future Funding of the Schools Library Service. Report of the Director of Health and Community Services. Author Michele Murphy (Principal Librarian: Customers & Communities). 19 October 2011
[4] Future of the Schools Library Service. Report of the Director of Health and Community Services. Authors Andrew Bignell, (Head of Libraries, Culture and Learning) and Michele Murphy, (Principal Librarian: Customers & Communities), 7 December 2011
[5] Ibid