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School librarians play a significant role in supporting pupils' well-being—but their work in this area is often overlooked, according to new research.

The study of library practitioners' work found that they often went far beyond their core responsibility of supporting pupils' development by cultivating a love of reading, expanding their outlook through a broad selection of books and increasing their autonomy.

They also took on a pastoral role by fostering a sense of the libraries as safe spaces in school where pupils, especially those from minority and marginalized groups, could find support.

No budget

The study notes other research which has found that two-thirds of school libraries in Scotland are run with little or no dedicated budget and that the number of UK secondary schools with libraries fell by 10% between 2019 and 2023. It concludes that its findings are "vital in advocating for maintaining support and funding" of school librarians.

The researchers interviewed librarians at 18 secondary schools in 14 local authority areas around Scotland. The paper has been published in the .

Dr. Charlotte Webber, a Chancellor's Fellow at the University of Strathclyde's Institute of Education, is the lead author of the study, which was conducted with Scottish Book Trust and with colleagues at the University of Edinburgh while she was a researcher there. She said, "The role of the school librarian is broad and evolving. They enhance pupils' engagement with books beyond purely reading for attainment and support their personal development and mental well-being. They also have duties as an administrator, teaching partner, IT consultant and signpost to other support.

"Many librarians talked about helping pupils to explore their identities and extend their experiences through library use. This helped to develop their empathy and understanding of others, as well as enhancing their reading experiences so that they are going beyond simply reading for the test."

"Resources and funding are extremely tight but there is an urgent need to understand and advocate for the role which school libraries and librarians play in pupils' development and well-being."

Librarians spoke of the importance of getting to know pupils individually and identifying books to which they would respond well, without passing judgment on their preferences. It was also essential to give them access to books which they might not have elsewhere, and to regard social media as a way of promoting reading, rather than necessarily an obstacle to doing so.

Marc Lambert, Chief Executive of the Scottish Book Trust, said, "This important research is further evidence of just how vital school libraries and their librarians are in supporting pupil attainment levels and well-being. The role of the librarian is all-encompassing, going beyond a drive to encourage reading, as they offer guidance and a safe space for all pupils to thrive."

"We recently released a new report on secondary school libraries in Scotland, which included worrying findings that some local authorities have no dedicated librarian in any of their secondary schools. This has highlighted the need for a statutory requirement to protect our school libraries, and we are calling on the Scottish Government to enact this."