Threat to Herts SLS - Statement from CILIP and the National Literacy Trust

CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) and the National Literacy Trust have released a joint press statement, condemning the threatened closure of Hertfordshire's Schools Library Service.

Closure of respected Schools Library Service blow to literacy and learning

Hertfordshire Schools Library Services, one of England’s largest and most respected Schools Library Services, is set to close in the New Year. A recent Hertfordshire County Council report recommended the service should close following declining buy-in from schools and uncertainty about the amount of funding the service would receive from central education budgets.

Schools Library Services provide professional support to schools to help manage their libraries. They provide books and resources to support teaching and help encourage reading for pleasure and develop a reading culture in schools.

Annie Mauger, CILIP Chief Executive, responded to the news:

“We are very shocked and saddened. This is a bitter blow to the hundreds of schools and thousands of children who benefit from the support of this service. The proposal to closure the service reflects the difficult decisions that both schools and local authorities have to make. The decline in numbers of schools buying into the service because of reductions in funding and the cuts to local authority library budgets means the service cannot subsidise losses. Vital support for literacy and learning will be lost.

The end result of this decision is pupils getting less support in a time where literacy levels and skills for life are more essential than ever. Hertfordshire County Council may feel that they have no choices as this is a traded service, but my concern is that this will create a domino effect across the country.”

Jonathan Douglas, Director of the National Literacy Trust added:

“Schools Library Services are a vital ingredient in effective school library provision for children across the country. Hertfordshire’s Schools Library Service has an iconic status as a centre of excellence in this field. If a service that is one of the biggest and best in the country is set to close, this threatens every Schools Library Service in the country.”

The Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals and the National Literacy Trust asks that government responds to the Estelle Morris Report from the School Library Commission and that an investigation into sustainable models for future provision of Schools Library Services should be taken forward.

CILIP believes it is time to Shout About School Libraries and Schools Library Services, before we lose them.

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