Report on the Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement

4. Rationale

Several trends since 1990 reinforce the ASLA view that a review of the literature on the impact of school libraries on student achievement is urgently needed. A substantial body of existing research shows a positive relationship between school libraries and achievement, but many of these studies are based on overseas data rather than on specifically Australian data. If practitioners in Australia are to mount a strong case for the importance of school libraries and school librarians here then it is important to know how applicable this research is to an Australian context.

The context in which school librarians and teacher librarians operate has changed noticeably in recent years, with consequent implications for student learning. In particular, the following trends suggest the need for a closer look at the potential role of school librarians in relation to student achievement in Australian schools: an apparent decline in the numbers of qualified teacher librarians employed in school libraries in public schools in Australia; an explosion in information production and the development of increasingly sophisticated information communication technologies (ICTs); changes in educational philosophy and practice, including a greater focus on learning outcomes, evidence-based practice and school accountability; and changes in the nature and role of the teacher librarian as a result of the above trends and developments. All of these point to the timeliness of a review of the literature that describes the impact of school librarians on student achievement.