There is a concerted nationwide push happening right now, driven by SLANZA (School Library Association NZ Aotearoa) and supported by the National Library of NZ, advocating for targeted government funding for school libraries.

Not every school in NZ has a school library.  Many also don’t have a librarian and book buying budgets are as varied across schools. As literacy levels decline nationwide and are now in a concerning real downward trend, this push aims to highlight the importance of libraries to education.

Librarians cannot overemphasise that they are here to help. So what does a school library provide? Access to good quality, carefully curated, up-to-date reading material that provides both reading for pleasure and supports the curriculum. It is a safe environment. It is a responsive environment. It enables the learning of literacy skills and provides support for finding quality information in a world overloaded with real and fake news.

For more in-depth information, click on this link to the School Libraries Transform website. You can also access the Nayland College Library website by clicking on this link – this is a particularly useful link to bookmark.