Create legal requirement for library in every secondary school, ministers urged

The Scottish Government has been urged to introduce a legal requirement that all secondary schools in the country have a dedicated library.

The Scottish Book Trust (SBT) said a new statutory requirement is needed as the number of school librarians over the past decade has “drastically reduced”.

There is currently no legal obligation for schools in Scotland to provide libraries or librarians.

The SBT said some council areas have no school librarians while others are sharing librarians between two or more schools.

Even the libraries still there, the charity said, are struggling because of budget cuts.

In a report into the impact of school libraries, the SBT recommended the introduction of new rules that would see a library and librarian in every secondary school.

Its recommendations include ensuring a standard set of provision across the country to ensure all schools have access to a high-quality library.

It also urged the Scottish Government to work with councils to ensure libraries are properly funded as well as new training for school management to support library services.

The study, in partnership with National Library of Scotland (NLS), the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland (CILIPS), also surveyed secondary school librarians in Scotland.

According to the poll, 82% of secondary school library workers agreed their library improves pupils’ literacy “often” or “a lot”.

But nearly three in five (59%) said there were restrictions on their funding and resources, while 23% reported restrictions on their remit and hours and 21% on dedicated library space.

Some 89% of library workers agreed their libraries provide opportunities for reading for pleasure “often” or “a lot”.

The SBT said Scotland now has more than a quarter fewer schools with a dedicated librarian than the UK as a whole at 32% and 41% respectively.

Marc Lambert, chief executive of the Scottish Book Trust, said: “The evidence clearly shows that school libraries and school librarians play a vital role in supporting pupil attainment levels and wellbeing, but schools across Scotland are losing their librarians and their library spaces.

“It’s shocking that there’s no legal requirement for secondary schools in Scotland to have a school library, staffed by a librarian.

“We are now calling on the Scottish Government to introduce a statutory requirement to protect our school libraries.

“With appropriate funding, secure staffing provision and more public and management support, school libraries can allow all children and young people to thrive, whatever their background.

“Providing a safe space for children and young people experiencing mental health or wellbeing challenges, they are hugely valuable and must be supported.”

Derek France, school librarian at Preston Lodge High School in East Lothian, and the 2025 Scottish Book Trust Reading Champion awardee, said: “I’ve been a school librarian for the past eight years, and I read this report not merely as a collection of statistics highlighting the benefits of a school library with a school librarian, but as a mirror reflecting the daily realities, hopes and frustrations of the people who keep our libraries alive.

“Reading for pleasure, closing the poverty-related attainment gap, digital inclusion, and active citizenship are precisely the domains where school libraries have traditionally excelled.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “It is good that Scottish Book Trust also recognise that school libraries and qualified school librarians play an important role in improving attainment, promoting equity and preparing children and young people for the future.

“That is why we invest every year in the School Library Improvement Fund to support innovative and creative projects which help pupils to engage with their school libraries.

“We will, of course, consider carefully this report and its recommendations, but fundamentally, it is for councils to determine how to manage their resources, including school libraries.

“Most local authorities have had to account for the planned hike in employer national insurance contributions and the UK Government is entirely responsible for this.”