Children’s author, and former Children's Laureate, Julia Donaldson joins the Great School Libraries Campaign and shares how everyone can help to ensure a school library in every school in a new video.

In the film, Julia discusses how reading for pleasure has “the greatest benefit on children’s later achievement” and describes school libraries as “beneficial to education and to society as a whole, narrowing the gap in aspiration and ability in children.”

Julia also shares how parents, teachers, and librarians can support the campaign to ensure that every child has access to a school library:

• Talk to your child’s teacher or headteacher about the campaign. If there isn’t a school library ask them to imagine what it would be like if there was one
• Shout about the campaign (tactfully) on social media and in your community
• Write to your MP – there’s a template you can download here
• If you have a good library at your school, contact the campaign and spread the word
• If you’re a public librarian and you’re worried about the lack of provision of school libraries, contact your MP, it makes a big difference

Click play button to watch full video

Phase 2 of the Great School Libraries Campaign was completed last year, with the report ‘Equal futures or an imbalance of opportunities?’, which identified some positives, as well as inequalities in the school system across England, Scotland and Wales.

Read more about the report and download

As part of the campaign, in July last year CILIP CEO, Nick Poole joined leading writer, poet, former Childrens Laureate, broadcaster and columnist Michael Rosen and Margaret Greenwood MP (Wirral West, LAB) in the first of a series of events to engage MPs and make sure every child has access to a great school library.

Nick Poole, CEO of CILIP said:

“Julia Donaldson’s support for our campaign is a real vote of confidence in the Great School Libraries Campaign, and we hope that she inspires parents, teachers and librarians to take action and help us achieve the goal of getting every child access to a great school library.”

Julia also presented 'Analysis: Can reading really improve your life?' on BBC Radio 4 where she investigated what schools, government, the media and parents do to help foster a love of reading that could help children throughout their lives, citing the work and research undertaken by CILIP and the Great School Libraries campaign.