4. BOOKSTOCK AND OTHER RESOURCES

Library study places

4.1 The distribution of number of library study places across the sample is shown below in Figure 7. This represented an average of approximately 11 places per 100 pupils; the median value was 5.7 places per 100 pupils; showing that some schools were particularly well resourced compared with the majority. There were no noticeable difference between sectors.

Figure 7 Number of library study places

4.2 Not surprisingly, there was a strong relationship between size of school and the number of library study spaces. There were, however, a significant number of large schools with a small number of library study spaces.

Table 4.2 Library study places by size of school

4.3 The differences observed here, between countries, cannot be explained by size of school variations; remember that smaller proportions than would be expected of Northern Ireland schools were very small or very large.

Table 4.3 Library study places by country

4.4 There was a slight tendency for grant maintained schools to have more library study spaces than LEA maintained schools. The independent sector showed more variability on this aspect of provision.

Table 4.4 Library study places by sector

4.5 Most of the differences between type of school come via the 'Other' category. The 11-18 schools had more library spaces but tended to be larger schools.

Table 4.5 Study spaces and type of school

4.6 Nearly 9% of school libraries had no computer workstation; 52.7% had 1 to 4 workstations and 38.5% had 5 or more workstations. This represented an average of approximately 1 work station per 100 pupils; the median value was 1 per 200 pupils which , again, showed that some schools were particularly well resourced compared with the majority.

Figure 8 Distribution of the number of computer workstations (percentage of schools with given number of stations)

4.7 There were significant differences between countries, type of school, sector and size of school in relation to computer work stations.

4.8 As can be seen, provision in Northern Ireland is poor; there are some particularly well resourced school libraries in England and Wales.

Table 4.8 Computer workstations and country

4.9 Differences here, between types of school, are more varied as can be seen in Table 4.9 below. The ‘Other’ category shows wider variation. This tendency for 11-18 schools to be larger in terms of pupil numbers is not reflected in more computer workstations.

Table 4.9 Computer workstation and type of school

4.10 Special and independent schools stand out as under resourced in this area.

Table 4.10 Workstations compared to sector

4.11 There is an obvious size effect insofar as smaller schools have lower provision and larger schools have higher provision; however, some of the larger schools are not particularly well resourced in this area. A third of the 2000 plus schools have only up to 4 workstations and 31% between 5 and 9. Provision in the very small schools appears quite good.

Table 4.11 Workstations compared with size of school

Non-fiction stock

4.12 The distribution of library book stock size for non-fiction stock is shown in Figure 9 below. This represents an average of approximately 9.12 items per pupil with a median value of 6.04. Again some schools have much larger book stocks than the majority.

Figure 9 Distribution for non-fiction stock
(% of school libraries having stock holding within the given ranges)

Fiction stock

4.13 The distribution of library book stock size for fiction stock is shown in Figure 10 below. This represents an average of approximately 4.60 items per pupil with a median value of 3.00. Again some schools have much larger book stocks than the majority. Over half of the libraries in the sample take between 10 and 50 titles of journals or newspapers (Figure 11).

Figure 10 Distribution for fiction stock
(% of school libraries having stock holding within the given ranges)

Figure 11 Journals and Newspapers
(numbers of)

Now considering items of resource per pupil, we see that well over half of the school libraries hold fewer than 10 stock items per pupil; 25% hold over 13 items per pupil.

Figure 12 Total resources (Books,
fiction/non fiction/Journals) per Pupil

4.14 There were, however, significant differences between countries, type of school, sector and size of school. These differences were observed for both non-fiction and fiction stock (excepting that there were no significant differences between countries with respect to fiction resource per pupil). For the total book stock the average per pupil was 13.4 with a median of 9.2 items per pupil.

4.15 Notice the similarity of England and Northern Ireland with respect to provision (Table 4.15 below); English school libraries fairing better at the top end. Scottish and Welsh school libraries tending to have lower provision per pupil.

Table 4.15 Total stock per pupil by country

4.16 'Other' schools tend to differ very much from the rest in having much better provision. Also 12-17 schools seen less well resourced, but the small sample size, here, should be considered.

Table 4.16 Total stock per pupil compared with type of school

4.17 Special and independent school libraries tended to have a better provision of stock per pupil than the other sectors.

Table 4.17 Total stock per pupil by sector

4.18 There is a rather dramatic trend comparing provision with size of school. Generally smaller school libraries have a much better provision per pupil. Differences on usage (borrowing per pupil) do not reflect this better provision. Whether this can be taken to suggest that the larger school libraries make more efficient use of book resources is a point for discussion.

Table 4.18 Total stock per pupil by size of school

4.19 Stocking of other types of resource (966 out of the 1075 responding libraries answered this question):

Figure 13 Percentage of school libraries
stocking other resources

4.20 As can be seen, above in Figure 13, the stocking of CD ROM disks is followed by the majority of school libraries, music recordings, educational videos and other collections are not so popular.

The main notable differences between countries, sectors, types of school and size of school are discussed below.

4.21 School libraries in Wales (60.3%) and Scotland (65.4%) tended to stock more computer software than the other countries. LEA maintained (59.8%) reported higher on this item and independent schools lower (41.3%).

4.22 For CD ROM disks, English school libraries tended to stock slightly less often (at 88.3% this was slightly lower than the UK average of 90.3%); this was certainly the case for special schools (50%) and to a lesser extent independent schools (83.7%). There was a trend with size, ranging from 55% for smaller schools to 100% for schools with over 2000 pupils.

4.23 For commercially produced videos, 76.3% of Scottish school libraries stocked these but only 47.9% of Northern Irish schools did. Special schools (41.4%) and Independent schools (48.1%) also scored low on this count. Over 85% of 2000 plus pupil schools stocked this item.

4.24 For "talking books" (audio cassettes), only 36.2% of Northern Irish school libraries tended to stock these but 76.9% of Scottish school libraries did. Special schools libraries tended to stock this item (70.7%) but independent school libraries did not (44.2%). In 76.2% of schools with over 2000 pupils this item was stocked but the level dropped to 46% for 100-500 pupil schools.

4.25 With published resource packs the Northern Irish schools faired poorly (36.2%) and Scottish schools well (60.9%). Special schools (34.5%) and independent schools (37.5%) did not find these popular.

4.26 For other significant collections, only 19% of Northern Irish schools reported positively on this; there was a tendency for larger schools to have other significant collection compared with the smaller schools.

Additions to stock

4.27 For additions to book stock this represented an average of approximately 1.11 books per pupil; the median being 0.49. For additional materials the numbers are 6 items per 100 pupils on average and less than 1 item per 100 pupils for the median. The difference between mean and median reflects the feature of a few school libraries having large additions to stock. Figures 14 and 15 below show the overall position.

Additions to stock as a percentage of current stock

4.28 Looking at total stock and comparing additions to stock with this allows an approximate rate of replenishment to be estimated. Care must be exercised with these figures since it is unlikely that any school would replenish the whole stock in about 50 years, which is suggested by 20.4% of the school libraries. As can be seen, only 29% of school libraries will replace stock in 10 years or less (i.e. have replenishment rates of 10% or more per year). Figure 16 below shows the picture.

Figure 16 Replenishment rate for bookstock
(% per year)

4.29 If we, now, consider the standardisation of books added per pupil, the effect of the size of the school can be removed. Firstly, comparing by country, there is a tendency for the English school libraries to have a higher replenishment rate per pupil.

Table 4.29 Books added per pupil by country

4.30 Differences here, between type of school, largely reflect the 'Other' category mixture of special and independent schools; the numbers in the 12-17 category are small.

Table 4.30 Books added per pupil by type of school

4.31 Special schools would appear to have very good or very poor replenishment of books; independent schools tend to have very good replenishment rates, although this is not true of all independent schools.

Table 4.31 Books added per pupil compared with sector:

4.32 There are two remarkable trends (with increasing size of school), here. Firstly, the proportion of schools adding no books per pupil drops from 47.4% for the smallest schools to 7.1% for the largest schools. Secondly, the proportion of schools adding over 2 books per pupil drops from 28.9% for the smallest schools to 4.3% for the 1000-2000 pupil schools. For over half the schools with over 100 pupils less than one book per pupil was added to stock per annum. There are also significant differences observable over other additions per pupil.

Table 4.32 Books added per pupil compared with size of school

4.33 Proportionately fewer Scottish school libraries had no other additions per pupil to stock. There is also a tendency for the English school libraries to have a slightly higher rate of other additions per pupil.

Table 4.33 Other additions per pupil compared with country

4.34 Comparing other additions by type of school, differences here, again, largely reflect the 'Other' category mixture of special and independent schools; the numbers in the 12-17 category are small.

Table 4.34 Other additions compared with type of school

4.35 Special schools would appear to have very good or very poor addition of other material; independent schools tend to have very good rates of addition, although this is not true of all independent schools.

Table 4.35 Other additions compared with sector

4.36 There are, again, two remarkable trends here when we consider other additions to stock in relation to school size. Firstly, the proportion of schools adding no other materials per pupil drops from 78.9% for the smallest schools to 28.6% for the largest schools. Secondly, the proportion of schools adding over 2 other items per ten pupils drops from 18.4% for the smallest schools to 4.8% for the 2000 plus pupil schools.

Table 4.36 Other additions compared with size of school

Comparative calculations (medians)

4.37 When comparing across countries, the main differences appear to be on spending per head. English and Scottish schools seem to spend more than Northern Irish and Welsh schools.

Table 4.37 Comparative per pupil calculations (medians) by country