Our School Library research section has been divided into four different sections: Economical, Information and Media Literacy, Reading and Literacy, and Value & Impact.
It features both studies for the UK and further afield. Papers include those looking at the impact of school libraries, the effects of book ownership and the benefits of reading.
Our research section gives an indication of school library research being conducted throughout the world but is in no way complete. It is a curated selection focusing on support and developmental practices rather than academic research.
UK Research
Economical
- Children and Young People’s Access to Books and Educational Devices at Home During the Cost-of-living crisis: A Survey of over 3,000 Parents and Carers in 2023 National Literacy Trust, February 2023.
Information and Media Literacy
- Evaluation of Behind the Headlines Media Literacy Ambassador Project National Literacy Trust, June 2024.
- School Libraries, Political Information and Information Literacy Provision: Findings from a Scottish Study Dr Lauren N. Smith, University of Strathclyde, December 2016.
Reading and Listening
- Children and Young People’s Book Ownership in 2024 National Literacy Trust, November 2024.
- Children and Young People’s Listening in 2024 National Literacy Trust, February 2025.
- Children and Young People’s Reading in Scotland in 2024 National Literacy Trust, Scottish Book Trust, November 2024.
- Early-initiated Childhood Reading for Pleasure: Associations with Better Cognitive Performance, Mental Well-being and Brain Structure in Young Adolescence Cambridge University Press, June 2023.
- The Benefits of Reading Book Trust, June 2024.
- The Reading Framework Department for Education, July 2023.
Value and Impact
- ASCEL Youth Engagement Network Pilot: Executive Summary Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians (ASCEL), September 2024.
- Beyond Books: High School Librarians as Champions of Pupil Inclusivity, Autonomy, and Reader Development Charlotte Webber et al University of Edinburgh, February 2024.
- Equal Futures? An Imbalance of Opportunities Great School Libraries (CILIP, School Library Association (SLA), School Libraries Group (SLG)), March 20
- Impact of School Libraries on Learning: Critical Review of Published Evidence to Inform the Scottish Education Community. Professor Dorothy Williams, Caroline Wavell and Katie Morrison, Robert Gordon University, October 2013.
- Inviting and Inclusive School Libraries Read for Good, January 2023.
- Libraries for Primaries: Evaluation for 2023/24. National Literacy Trust, March 2025.
- Life-changing Libraries: Report 2022 Book Trust, June 2022.
- National Survey to Scope School Provision in the UK: Research Report BMG, Date: 2022.
- Renfrewshire School Library Service Annual Report: 2023/2024 One Red (Renfrewshire Libraries, November 2024.
- School Library Services Research Report Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians (ASCEL), November 2024.
- School Libraries: Why Children and Young People use them or not, Their Literacy Engagement and Mental Wellbeing National Literacy Trust, December 2018.
- The Value and Impact of Scotland's Libraries: Main Summary of Findings from Primary and Secondary School Librarian Surveys Scottish Book Trust, December 2024.
- The Value and Impact of Scotland’s Libraries: Preliminary Findings from Primary School Librarian surveys Scottish Book Trust, December 2024.
International Research
- Scholastic Ready4Reading: A Literature Review on Foundational Research (Executive Summary) Scholastic, March 2024.
- School library Professionals’ Perspectives on Current and Future Workforce Challenges Margaret Kristin Merga (University of Notre Dame, Australia), Saiyidi Mat Roni (Edith Cowan University, Australia), January 2025.
- Scholastic Ready4Reading: A Literature Review on Foundational Research (Executive Summary) Scholastic, March 2024.
Evidence-Led Libraries: Inspiring Innovation and Creating Communities
Scottish Library & Information Council
Annual General Meeting 2025
