New school libraries give children 'magic' of books

A charity that funded 32 new libraries in Bradford schools in the last year has said more must be done to reverse “dire” shortages of services to get children reading.

The National Literacy Trust’s Libraries for Primaries campaign handed out almost 17,000 new books in the city in 2023-24. Many were donated to schools in areas of high deprivation where library spaces had all but disappeared.

The organisation has said it wants to put reading at the heart of the Bradford 2025 City of Culture programme.

Its local hub manager Imran Hafeez said the work came at a “critical point” for more investment in literacy.

The campaign started after the Trust’s research found that one in every seven state primary schools in the UK did not have a library.

The charity partnered with publisher Penguin's World of Stories project to supply books and materials.

Mr Hafeez said: “Over the last couple of years, when I have spoken to headteachers, often something that would come up was that they really struggle with their budgets. There isn't any money to buy books, which is so sad to hear.

“In some schools, there was a physical library space, but the stock was really old. In other schools, there wasn't even a space.”

The Trust also provided training for teachers and ran activities to introduce children to the concept of borrowing books.

“Kids need books and stories, and children growing up in areas of deprivation, even more so, are at risk of missing out on those,” Mr Hafeez added.

“That picture is quite dire in some instances. We need to highlight the needs and show that there are other solutions, that we need to come together for something longer term and sustainable.”

Mr Hafeez added that the campaign had really “taken off” in the past year in Bradford, but was still “gathering pace”.

“With the prospect of the City of Culture and the spotlight on Bradford, the conversation we're having with publishers and corporates means we're really excited about extending even further this year. We'll be offering more school libraries and more books in the next year, which is great.”

The charity's work also helped to plug gaps left by nationwide cuts to the provision of public library services, which have experienced closures and reduced staffing.

The hub that Mr Hafeez manages also arranged links between schools and their local libraries to encourage families to use the facilities together.

Mr Hafeez said: “We're a city of literature. We have a rich heritage of literature, we've got a literature festival, we've got the City of Culture, we've got so much going for the place."

Each school that takes part in the Libraries for Primaries programme is entitled to 500 new books by 2025, alongside author visits and workshops.

The local hub also funded a mobile library called the Bradford Stories Bus, which travels around areas with low uptake of services.

The Department for Education said it was down to individual schools to decide how best to provide a library service for their pupils.

A spokesperson said: "We believe fostering a good relationship with reading early on is foundational for developing literacy and communication skills, which is why we encourage all teachers and care providers to support children’s development in reading.”

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