Schools across the country are celebrating Aotearoa NZ School Library Week this week, embracing all the ways that school libraries enrich our students’ lives through bringing books to life, providing safe spaces, and allowing the freedom to choose books that are crucial to their literacy and learning success.
The School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa – Te Puna Whare Mātauranga a Kura (SLANZA) announced this year’s theme as ‘School Libraries Build Readers’, reflecting the importance of school libraries in underpinning the structured literacy framework.
“School libraries are essential to ensure that the building blocks of structured literacy are strengthened by developing the joy of reading, increasing reading comprehension, empathy, and the capacity to learn,” says Leonie Grigsby, SLANZA President elect.
It is currently estimated that two thirds of students in Aotearoa do not have access to a school librarian, the key person to champion and bring the magic of literacy to life for them.
“SLANZA is concerned that without access to school libraries and specialised librarians to promote and encourage reading for pleasure, the potential of literacy programmes will always be limited,” states Leonie Grigsby.
SLANZA urges the government to mandate that every student have access to a well-resourced school library to ensure that all students will have equitable access to the resources needed to achieve their reading and learning potential.
