SLANZA School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa Te Puna Whare Maatauranga a Kura
  • Home
  • About SLANZA
    • Our Mahi
    • Meet Our Team
    • SLANZA President Elect
    • Regions & Contact Us
    • Advocacy & Research
    • Membership >
      • Individual membership
      • Business membership
      • Life membership
    • Policies
  • News & Events
    • News Blog
    • SLANZA Awards
    • Aotearoa School Library Week >
      • Aotearoa SLW Resources 2024
      • Aotearoa SLW Resources 2023
      • Aotearoa SLW Resources 2022
    • SLANZA Annual Reading Survey
  • Professional Learning
    • Professional development
    • Collected - SLANZA Magazine >
      • Archive
    • Study grants
    • Qualifications
    • Open Polytechnic Discounts
    • Conferences >
      • SLANZA Hui 2025 >
        • SLANZA Hui 2025 Accommodation
  • Media & Projects
    • SLANZA in the Media
    • School Libraries Research Project
  • Resources
    • SLANZA Reading Lists
    • SLANZA Sessions Podcast
    • SLANZA Annual Wall Planner
    • Mailing lists
    • School Libraries Transform
    • More information for school libraries
    • Vacancies

Briefing to new Ministers of Parliament from the library and information sector

23/1/2024

0 Comments

 

In December 2023, LIANZA asked SLANZA National Executive to provide content for a briefing paper on issues relating to the library and information sectors in Aotearoa that was presented to our new Minister of Education, Hon Erica Stanford, as well as three other Ministers, Hon Simeon Brown, Hon Brooke van Velden, and Hon Paul Goldsmith, this month. 
As key stakeholders in the library and information sector. LIANZA, SLANZA and PLNZ wrote this briefing paper to introduce new MP's to our organisations and identify key areas affecting our library and information members. 
We are pleased that SLANZA’s voice was present in this important communication to the Ministers to inform them of the work of SLANZA, and the critical role of school libraries and librarians in the education sector.  
You can read this briefing paper here in full.  
The following text is some of the school library-relevant sections in the briefing paper: 
EQUITABLE ACCESS TO SCHOOL LIBRARIES  

  • There is currently no requirement or specialised funding for schools in Aotearoa New Zealand to provide library spaces, services or staff. This means most students don’t have access to a school library run by a school librarian. New Zealand’s literacy levels continue to decline with persistent gaps between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnic groups and genders.1 
  • A recent National Library survey highlighted a library as essential for promoting and supporting reading for pleasure, achieving literacy standards, strengthening inquiry learning and teaching and enhancing students’ social and emotional learning and well-being.2  
  • ​Overseas research shows that school libraries, staffed by school librarians, lead to improved literacy and wellbeing outcomes. Both literacy and wellbeing are current government priorities. Learning experiences encountered within the library can significantly contribute to students’ development in these priority areas.3  
  • School libraries are uniquely positioned to engender sustained gains in student learning. To improve literacy in Aotearoa, the provision of specialised funding and support for every school in Aotearoa to have a school library adequately staffed with a diverse, inclusive collection that meets the interests and needs of the school community is essential.4     
  • ​According to June 2023 information from the Ministry of Education of the approximate 2500 schools in New Zealand:  
    • only 763 state schools in Aotearoa have a school library with space that can accommodate a minimum of 30 students. 
    • ​there are only 51 full-time librarians and 797 part-time library staff, making a total of only 848 school library staff working in schools across Aotearoa. 
  • We encourage this government to address the chronic issue of inequitable access to library services staffed by qualified library staff in primary and secondary schools. 
1 https://theeducationhub.org.nz/the-state-of-literacy-how-bad-are-things-and-why-does-it-matter/  
2
https://natlib.govt.nz/schools/school-libraries/understanding-school-libraries/school-libraries-in-aotearoanz-survey-reports/school-libraries-in-aotearoa-new-zealand-2022 
3 https://theeducationhub.org.nz/school-libraries-as-safe-spaces-promoting-literacy-and-wellbeing/  
4 https://www.nzcer.org.nz/nzcerpress/curriculum-matters/articles/under-recognised-underused-andundervalued-school-libraries  
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed


    Tweets by Schoollibsnz

    Categories

    All
    Advocacy
    Announcements
    Aoraki
    Aotearoa School Libraries Research Project
    Awards
    Business Membership
    Censorship
    Central Region
    Collected
    LIANZA SLANZA Tertiary Grants
    Life Membership
    Media Release
    Membership
    National Exec
    National Executive
    National Library
    Otago
    PLD
    Professional Development
    Reading
    Reading Survey
    Reports
    Wellington


    Archives

    June 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010

School Library Association Of New Zealand Aotearoa CC Licence by SLANZA is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International

Photo from thewritingzone
  • Home
  • About SLANZA
    • Our Mahi
    • Meet Our Team
    • SLANZA President Elect
    • Regions & Contact Us
    • Advocacy & Research
    • Membership >
      • Individual membership
      • Business membership
      • Life membership
    • Policies
  • News & Events
    • News Blog
    • SLANZA Awards
    • Aotearoa School Library Week >
      • Aotearoa SLW Resources 2024
      • Aotearoa SLW Resources 2023
      • Aotearoa SLW Resources 2022
    • SLANZA Annual Reading Survey
  • Professional Learning
    • Professional development
    • Collected - SLANZA Magazine >
      • Archive
    • Study grants
    • Qualifications
    • Open Polytechnic Discounts
    • Conferences >
      • SLANZA Hui 2025 >
        • SLANZA Hui 2025 Accommodation
  • Media & Projects
    • SLANZA in the Media
    • School Libraries Research Project
  • Resources
    • SLANZA Reading Lists
    • SLANZA Sessions Podcast
    • SLANZA Annual Wall Planner
    • Mailing lists
    • School Libraries Transform
    • More information for school libraries
    • Vacancies