CILIP, CILIP School Libraries Group and the School Library Association announces a second phase of the Great School Libraries campaign.

First launched in September 2018, the Great School Libraries campaign advocates for every school age child to benefit from access to a great school library - a designated space, with high quality stock and supported by dedicated staff.

The Great School Libraries campaign is working with stakeholders from across the education sector to demonstrate how school libraries help support the post-pandemic recovery. There is strong evidence linking school library provision with a range of positive outcomes, including; improved qualifications, increased efficiency for schools and a better quality of life for children and young people.

The first three years of the campaign have delivered the influential UK-wide report into school library provision, the largest collection of case studies showcasing school library impact and new research and toolkits into inquiry-based learning, mental health and well-beinng.

Building on these findings and in response to the increasing educational and literacy gaps brought about by the Covid pandemic, the Great School Libraries campaign is moving into Phase 2. This phase will position great school libraries as a key part of academic recovery and the successful provision of formal education.

Co-chairs Caroline Roche and Alison Tarrant said, “There has never been a more important time to advocate for the role that school libraries play across so many areas of development: careers, creativity, research, building independence, wellbeing, empathy and of course, literacy and reading. It is a basic fact that education depends on reading, and school libraries have been evidenced to lead to improved outcomes for learners.”

The campaign has secured strong support from a range of sector stakeholders including the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society, National Literacy Trust, Book Trust, Society of Authors, ASCEL and The Reading Agency. Phase 2 has also established a new steering committee to support the levelling up agenda including:

• Sufiya Ahmed: award-winning and Carnegie-nominated children’s and YA author, founder and director of the BIBI Foundation
• Richard Gerver: former headteacher, award-winning speaker, bestselling author and world-renowned thinker
• Karthik Krishnan: Venture Chair at Redesign Health, Adjunct Professor at NYU Stern School of Business and an NACD Certified Board Director
• Sonia Thompson: Director of the Research School and Headteacher at St Matthew’s CE Teaching School
• Maeve Walsh: experienced policymaker and government relations expert.

Sufiya Ahmed says “I have supported the Great School Libraries campaign ever since it was launched and am honored to serve on the steering committee for phase two. School libraries are vital to the wellbeing and education of our country’s children. They offer space for children to grow by offering stories and providing information. All of this contributes to children’s aspirations, allowing them to imagine a world beyond their bubble.

School libraries are a means for levelling up and no child should be denied the opportunity to become the best versions of themselves.”

Richard Gerver added, “Throughout my career as a teacher and as a Headteacher, a well-run, well-developed library was at the heart of school culture. If our job is to help our young people develop aspirations, a sense of value and of awe and wonder, then books, libraries and skilled librarians must be a non-negotiable; they are the catalysts for so much of what really matters in education.”

The campaign is delighted to have secured sponsorship from the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society

Exciting opportunities are available for sector and corporate organisations who wish to support the cause. For more information on how you can make a difference, please visit the Great School Libraries website.

Keep up to date with the campaign’s progress and help us raise awareness at #GreatSchoolLibraries.

Notes for Editors

For further information about the Great School Libraries campaign, please contact co-chairs Alison Tarrant and Caroline Roche at info@greatschoollibraries.org.uk, or visit the Great School Libraries website.

About CILIP SLG

The CILIP School Libraries Group (SLG) offers help and support to members working in and with school libraries. The SLG provides guidance to librarians who wish to become Chartered Members or Fellows of CILIP, and they provide professional guidance to school librarians both in the UK and abroad. SLG works toward having a trained, experienced librarian in every school to enhance teaching and learning.

About the School Library Association (SLA)

The School Library Association is an independent charity that believes that every pupil is entitled to effective school library provision. The SLA works towards all schools in the UK having their own (or shared) staffed library to help all children and young people fulfil their potential. School staff and children should have access to a wide and varied range of resources and have the support of an expert guide in reading, research, media and information literacy.

Steering Group Biographies

Sufiya Ahmed

Sufiya Ahmed is an award winning and Carnegie nominated children’s and YA author. She visits secondary and primary schools to talk about her childhood dream to become an author, her books and creative writing.

Sufiya is also the founder and director of the BIBI Foundation, a non-profit organization which arranges visits to the Houses of Parliament for diverse and underprivileged children. She is also a public speaker on Girls Rights.

Richard Gerver

Richard Gerver began his career in education as headmaster of the failing Grange Primary School. In just two years, he famously transformed the school into one of the most acclaimed learning environments in the world.

Richard has since transitioned to the global stage to deliver passionate, provocative and authentic speeches, drawing upon the first-hand experiences and unique insights garnered from frontline education to explore the links between great leadership, human potential, change and innovation. It is this authenticity and uniqueness which has led to Richard speaking on the most recognised stages, including TED, the RSA and BBC radio.

Karthik Krishnan

Karthik Krishnan is a Venture Chair at Redesign Health, an Adjunct Professor at NYU - Stern School of Business and an NACD Certified Board Director. Redesign Health is committed to elevating health and wellness companies that empower people to live their healthiest lives by bringing ideas, capital, people and execution to its portfolio companies.

Sonia Thompson

Sonia is Director of the Research School and Headteacher at St Matthew’s CE Teaching School. She is co-lead for English, as well as the History and Assessment Lead. She is an SLE for English and School Improvement and an accredited Talk for Writing Training Centre Lead. She is a member of the steering group for the National Tutoring Programme and an Advisory Board Member for OU/UKLA Reading for Pleasure website. In 2020 she was a judge of the UKLA book awards, and the Empathy Lab books. Sonia is a frequent speaker at conferences on Literacy, Curriculum and Reading for Pleasure.

Maeve Walsh

Maeve Walsh is an experienced policymaker and government relations expert who has worked in the UK Government and not-for-profit sector. During a 17-year career in Whitehall, she held senior roles in central Departments including Cabinet Office, No10, the Department of Health and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, where she led the team responsible for delivering the UK Digital Strategy.

Since then, she has worked as a consultant with a variety of organisations on digital and data policy and has been a Carnegie Trust Associate for three years, advising on their online harm reduction project. She is a Trustee at the Connection at St-Martins-in-the-Field, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and has served as a parent governor at her children's primary school.