Library Access

7. Approximately 85% of schools reported a single library site, 13% had two or more sites and nearly 2% of schools with no library site. Scotland had a higher proportion of schools without a library site and a lower proportion with 2 library sites. A large proportion of special schools (nearly 14 percent) had no library. Independent schools were a little different with respect to number of library sites and tended to have a slightly higher proportion than LEA or grant maintained schools with no library (but much larger proportions with 2 or 3 or more library sites).

8. Notable differences emerged between the special sector with a description of the library as more often a ‘book only’ collection and similarly (but to a lesser extent with the independent sector). The LEA and grant maintained sectors show similar pictures with respect to the description of the library. The trend towards a description as a multimedia collection with increasing size of school was very pronounced.

9. There will be many reasons for differences but it would appear that Scottish school libraries tended to open more often before school starts, slightly more often after school finishes and much more often during holidays; they tended not to open as often during lunch times. Welsh school libraries opened more often at break times but not so often before or after school. School libraries in Northern Ireland opened less often at break and lunch times and quite often during holidays. The number of the English schools in the survey tended to dominate the picture but there were differences around this picture. Special school libraries tended not to open outside lesson times; independent school libraries appeared more flexible with opening times.

10. Overall, 36.8% of libraries opened for fewer than 31 hours per week; 52% opened between 31 and 40 hours and 11.2% opened for 41 hours or longer. Scottish libraries tended to be open slightly longer hours (30 plus); Northern Ireland schools slightly shorter hours, although the differences were small. Special school libraries tended not to have long opening hours. For LEA and grant maintained school libraries most opening hours were between 21 and 40 hours; independent schools surveyed tended to open longer hours. Small schools tended to have shorter opening hours (these were often the special schools). Independent school libraries surveyed tended to have longer opening hours than other sectors irrespective of size of school. The trend of increasing opening hours with increasing size of school was very noticeable.

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