Big news!

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https://www.slav.vic.edu.au/index.php/Synergy/article/view/865/858

View of Australian Coalition for School Libraries

 Did you know that there is no national data on how many school libraries are in Australia and how they are staffed? We do know that there are 9,653 schools (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2025).  in Australia and can safely assume that the number of school libraries is considerably higher than the number of  public  libraries  –  which  we  do  have  national  data  on  –  1,714 service points to be exact!  This data void impacts the interpretation of trends in student progress  and  outcomes  and  hinders  the  full  evaluation  of  interventions  to  improve  academic  achievement  and  student wellbeing. It is also a significant barrier to school library advocacy.  Without data, it can be hard to get decision makers’ attention, or to build a convincing case for the scale of the problem. We may know from our networks about the growing gap in student outcomes between those attending a well-resourced school with a library team and those with limited resourcing and staff, but its challenging to make the case without hard data. Considering the significant positive impact that a well-resourced school library has for students and the wider school community, it’s essential that we work together to secure their future.

There is no data on how many school libraries in Aotearoa NZ either!  

*School Library Association of Victoria