School Libraries and Their Impact on Student Wellbeing

On Thurs 21 Nov I was very excited to speak at the Babcock Education Conference entitled "Bibliotherapy for Wellbeing". I was presenting on the School Library's role in supporting positive student mental health and wellbeing.

I cited many sources for this hour and a half long talk, one of them was the National Library of New Zealand who states that school libraries:

• improves student outcomes — collections developed for your unique school community enrich reading and learning programmes
• welcomes people in — the library is a safe place, that values and includes students from different cultures and backgrounds
• brings people and information together
• embodies the principles of ‘learner agency’ — students having the independence to choose their own reading, and to find resources that help them develop their interests and strengths at their own pace
• helps close the education gap — for students who might otherwise be disadvantaged, the library can provide access to the stories, information, and technology they need.

This is echoed by an article in Phi Delta Kappan, an educational journal which found that:

The mere presence of a librarian is associated with better student outcomes, but what librarians do also has positive effects. Multiple studies have found that test scores tend to be higher in schools where librarians spend more time:

• Instructing students, both with classroom teachers and independently;
• Planning collaboratively with classroom teachers;
• Providing professional development to teachers;
• Meeting regularly with the principal;
• Serving on key school leadership committees;
• Facilitating the use of technology by students and teachers;
• Providing technology support to teachers, and
• Providing reading incentive programs.

It was a huge honour to talk about these points and tie them into what we do at Glenthorne. For more information, check out the Great School Libraries campaign!