National Surveys of UK School Libraries

Step 1: School Library Management

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For the purposes of data gathering and analysis only, please supply the following information about your school. (All survey data will be treated as confidential and the results will be aggregated for publication. No individual schools will be identified.)

Name of School:

Local Authority Area in which the school is located:

Please indicate the type of school
Select type of school Middle, deemed Secondary Secondary Special Independent Other, please specify

 

1. Do you have more than one school library/LRC?
No
Yes
1.1 If yes, how many sites?

2. Who is responsible for running your library/LRC on a day-to-day basis?
Teacher(s)
Professionally-qualified school librarian
Other designated school librarian
Volunteer staff
School Administrator
Nobody
Other (please specify):

2.1 On average, how many paid person-hours per week (i.e. excluding volunteer time) are allocated for running and managing the library during term-time? (Please include any time spent teaching by library staff)
Up to 10
11-20
21-35
36-50
51-70
More than 70

3. On average, how many hours per week is the library open and accessible to pupils/students in term-time?
Up to 10
11-20
21-35
36-40
More than 40

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Step 2: Library Stock and its Management

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4.1 We know that the library is not just about books, but roughly how large is the bookstock?
Up to 2,000 items
2,001 - 5,000
5,001 - 10,000
10,001 - 15,000
15,001 - 20,000
More than 20,000

4.2 Approximately how many pupils/students currently attend your school?
Up to 100
101 - 250
251 - 500
501 - 1,000
1,001 - 1,250
More than 1,251

4.3 Is the amount of space available for housing the library/LRC:
Good
Adequate
Insufficient, but within workable limits
Inadequate to meet current demand

4.4 In general, is the condition of the library stock (currency and physical state of books and other materials):
Good
Adequate
Patchy
Poor

4.5 How well is the stock differentiated to meet the full range of pupil needs (including language needs)?
Well
Adequately
Patchily
Poorly

5. Do you use an electronic library management system?
Yes
No

6. How many computer terminals/laptops are available in the library for pupil/student use?
1 to 3
4 to 9
10 to 19
20 to 29
30 or more

7. Does your school subscribe to a Schools Library Service?
Yes
No Schools Library Service available
No

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Step 3: School Library Budget

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8. What is the current annual library budget for purchase of stock and services (all sources)?
Up to £1,000
£1,001 - £3,000
£3,001 - £5,000
£5,001 - £10,000
£10,001 - £20,000
More than £20,000
No specific allocation
Cannot divulge this information

8.1 Has this budget changed since last year?
Increased
Decreased
No change

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Finish: Our thanks and options

Thank you very much for completing this survey of the library.

Now please tell us about the service that you offer. (Submitting your responses at the end of this questionnaire will also submit your survey replies, so go directly to the questionnaire and submit both from there.)

If you don’t want to give additional information about your service, do please send us your completed survey now.

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30th July 2010: This survey is now closed. You can view it, but you can’t submit responses.

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Start of the Individual Questionnaire

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Thank you for agreeing to give us more information about your school library/LRC and how it contributes to the school. Your replies are confidential and will only be used to prepare a report on the state of school libraries.

[There is a link back to the Survey at the bottom of the page, but there is no need to return to the survey as submitting answers to the questionnaire will submit your survey replies at the same time.]

How do you manage the school library/LRC?

1. Who do you report to?
No specified reporting line (Please go to question 1.2)
School Head
Deputy Head
Assistant Head
Bursar/Finance Director
Other member of the school senior management team
Other, please specify job title:

1.1 How much access do you get to that person?
Adequate access including regular review meetings
Adequate access including occasional review meetings
Adequate informal access
Sporadic access
Little access
Only by e-mail/written reports
No access

1.2 How much active support do you get from senior management? Are you or your library/LRC:
A member of the school senior management team
Given access to the school senior management team when you request it
Occasionally asked to appear at the school senior management team
Positively acknowledged for general performance by senior managers
Positively acknowledged for specific achievements by senior managers
Given negative feedback by senior managers
Largely ignored by senior managers
Ignored by senior managers
Positively acknowledged for general performance on the school website/in newsletters/in school assemblies/in reports to school governors etc.
Positively acknowledged for specific achievements on the school website/in newsletters/in school assemblies/in reports to school governors etc.

1.3 Do you get any direct help when the library is open and in use?
Help from:	Regularly	Peak times	Occasionally	None
Other library staff
Teachers
Pupils/students
Parents/volunteers
Others

2. Do you have a library/LRC policy or improvement plan? (Please choose all categories that apply)
Policy in place and approved by school senior management team/governors
Policy in place and used to guide library strategy
Policy in place but not fully implemented
Policy in place but not implemented
Plan in place and approved by school senior management team/governors
Plan in place and linked to school improvement plan
Plan in place and used to drive the development of the library/LRC
Plan in place but not fully implemented
Plan in place but mainly to meet external inspection requirements
Plan in place but not implemented
No policy in place — school does not use this approach to management
No policy in place — library/LRC not seen as sufficiently important for this
No plan in place — school does not use this approach to management
No plan in place — school does not use this approach to management
No plan in place — library/LRC not seen as sufficiently important for this
No plan in place: other reason (please say why)

3. Do you conduct any formal evaluation of the library/LRC and its services? (Please choose all appropriate categories)
No formal evaluation
Collect and report statistics showing use of library/LRC services (e.g. occupancy rates; loans)
Conduct user satisfaction survey
Keep systematically and report on comments by users
Record and report success stories from teachers and pupils/students (including visual record, if appropriate)
Conduct and report on school library self-evaluation using Improve your Library publication and materials
Other, please specify what

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Step 1: Engagement in teaching and learning

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4. In what ways, if any, do library staff actively promote reading for pleasure in your school? (Please choose all appropriate categories
No active promotion of reading for pleasure
Reading clubs
Competitive reading scheme
Awards for reading
Exhibitions and displays
Author visits
Other, please specify what

5. What main expression do you use in your school to describe the development of pupil/student skills and competencies in relation to information?
No particular expression used/don’t know. (Please go to question 5.2)
Information literacy
Information skills
Library skills
Problem-solving
Research skills
Study skills
No specific term used (Please go to question 5.2)
Other please specify what

5.1 Can you say briefly what you understand by the expression that you have chosen?

5.2 Do library staff undertake or contribute directly to this work in your school?
No (Please go to question 6)
Yes
If yes, in what ways (Please choose all appropriate categories)
Work with one or two years, or
Work with most years, or
Work with all years, or
Focus on progression through the years
Pupil/student induction in library/LRC
Conduct lessons in library/LRC
Support lessons conducted by teachers in library/LRC
Conduct lessons in classroom
Support lessons conducted by teachers in classroom
Prepare assignment materials for teacher to use in classroom
Provide on-line tutorials
Prepare guidance materials to be used by pupils/students
Other, please say what

5.3 What are the main elements of the library staff contribution to this work in your school? (Please choose all appropriate categories)
Focus on:	Major focus	Some attention	Minor focus	No focus
Computer skills
Finding information
Selecting relevant information
Evaluating the information
Making sense of the information
Using the information appropriately to answer a question
Using the information appropriately to solve a problem
Other (please say what)

6. In what other ways, if any, do library staff actively support teaching and learning? (Please choose all appropriate categories)
No other active support
Out of hours support
Homework clubs
Support for what is being taught, or
Systematic support for what is being taught
Obtain schemes of work from teachers/departments
Know what is being taught
Other active support, (please say what)

7. In what ways, if any, do library staff collaborate with teaching staff? (Please choose all appropriate categories)
Assemble materials for use by teachers in lessons or assignments
Joint planning of lessons or assignments
Joint delivery of lessons or assignments
Joint assessment of pupil/student performance in lessons or assignments
Joint review of lessons or assignments
Propose joint activities of these kinds to teachers
Respond to teacher invitations to engage in joint activities of these kinds
No joint activities with teachers

8. In what ways, if any, do library staff guide students/pupils towards the most appropriate electronic resources? (Please choose all appropriate categories)
Activity:	Regular	Occasional	Infrequent	None
Bookmark appropriate sites/resources
Identify information portals
Review information portals
Review websites for suitability
Create links to other relevant Resources
Block unsuitable websites
Other (please say what)

9. In what other ways, if any, do library staff encourage open access to and use of information? (Please choose all appropriate categories)
No other ways
Through stock selection
Borrow resources from other libraries (etc.) to enhance collections
Help to manage any or all of these: school website/Intranet/virtual learning environment
Actively contribute to any or all of these: school website/ Intranet/ virtual learning environment
Other, (please say what)

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Step 2: Stock management and resources

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10. How adequate is the school library/LRC funding to meet current needs? (Please choose all appropriate categories)
Purchase of:	Good	Adequate	Poor
Stock and resources to meet immediate demands of pupils/students using the library/LRC
Stock and resources to support teaching, learning and pupil/student development
Stock to support promotion of reading for pleasure
Stock and resources to mirror the full range of pupil/student abilities
Stock and resources to support the full range of first languages within the school
Licenses for relevant websites and e-publications

11. To what extent, if at all, does the school library/LRC supplement its funds through other activities or sources? (Please choose all appropriate categories)
Activity:	Significant time spent	Some time spent	Minor activity	Not done
Prepare bids for external funding
Collect tokens for free books
Donations from parents association
Buy second-hand
Purchase by parents at special events
Other (please say what)

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Step 3: You and your role

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12. Do you have, or are you working towards, any academic or relevant vocational/professional qualifications?
	No	Yes
(If no, please go to question 13)
(If yes, please choose all appropriate categories)
	Qualification held	Working towards
PhD or equivalent
M Library Science or equivalent
M Education or equivalent
Other MA/MSc or equivalent
B Library Science or equivalent
B Education or equivalent
Other BA/BSc or equivalent
FCLIP/MCLIP/ACLIP
NVQ Information and Library Services
Other (please say what)

13. What do you think is the most important aspect of your own current role?

14. Do library staff have other duties, roles or responsibilities that are not covered elsewhere in this questionnaire?
	No	Yes
(If no, please go to question 15)
If yes, are these from choice or imposed? (Please choose all appropriate categories)
	From choice	Imposed
School administrative tasks
Cover supervision of pupils/students
Other classroom supervision of pupils/students
Exam invigilation
Reception at school events
Attendance at school management meetings
Attendance at curriculum planning meetings
Participation in school in-service training
Other (please say what)

15. Finally, please tell us a short story or incident that captures for you the relationship between your library and your school.

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Finish: Our thanks

Thank you very much for completing this individual questionnaire as well as the initial survey.

Your replies are confidential and will only be used, as part of an aggregated and anonymized pool of data, to prepare a report on the state of school libraries.

Please now submit your responses to the questionnaire and this will also submit your earlier survey replies.

30th July 2010: This survey is now closed. You can view it, but you can’t submit responses.

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