Why Bother Having a School Library?

Six reasons why they matter

Feb 08, 2025

shallow focus photography of bookshelfs — Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

For the past 13 years, I’ve worked as a library clerk for a public school district. (I write more about that here.) I spend my time in five buildings working with high school students. I get to catalog books, work on collection development, arrange displays, come up with book lists, write grants, host book clubs, and other (mostly) fun stuff. I love my job, my colleagues, and working with teens. Most of the kids I know are delightfully funny and passionate humans who give me hope for a better future.

In the United States, libraries and library staff are facing wave after wave of book challenges, bans, and threats, which Kelly Jensen does an incredible job covering. Intellectual freedom might have seemed like a promise, but for students and library patrons in states like Florida, Texas, Idaho, and Utah, that's not so certain anymore. I'm blessed to work for a district and school board that still values diversity, equity, and inclusion, but I know many library workers are not in my privileged position. That's why I want to talk about school libraries today.

When you think of a school library, maybe you think of old books, slow computers, and encyclopedia sets from 1972 that are covered in dust. Perhaps you imagine the cardigan-clad librarian glaring at you for talking too loudly, or you still feel a bit guilty about all those library fines you racked up for not returning that one Stephen King book you really loved. If you don’t have good memories of your school library or maybe never even used it, you might wonder if they matter. I think they do, and here's why.

School libraries give students a space to relax.

There are all kinds of different demands placed on students by their peers, parents, and teachers. There’s constant pressure to perform and excel, to impress and fit in. While some of that pressure is necessary for success, kids need a break from it sometimes, just like adults do. They need time to relax and be kids.

The library offers students something unique because when they walk through the doors, they can just be. They can come in with friends to chat and study together. They can come in and sit alone, enjoying some quiet time before or after school. They can read, listen to music, do research, play computer games, flip through a graphic novel, work a puzzle, or create something. In short, they can relax. Since I'm not their teacher, I don’t care about a student's homework, grades, reading level, or popularity. I care that they can visit the library, feel welcome, and have an opportunity to let their guard down for a while.

School libraries are free from judgment.

Not all libraries are judgment-free zones, of course, but that should be the goal. Students should be able to use the library to learn and discover without being evaluated. They should feel free to research what they’re interested in without raised eyebrows. They should be able to choose books about tough topics knowing that what they read will not be judged by library staff. Sometimes I wonder why students walk past our shelves packed with new books and instead pick up a battered copy of Twilight for the third time, but hey, if they need their vampire fix, I won’t stop them.

I hope when students use their school libraries they’re greeted with kindness and warmth. Kids know when they’re wanted and when they’re not, and the teen years are full of desperation to belong. Those of us who have the privilege of working with students need to remind ourselves that our small acts of kindness toward them make a more significant impact than we’ll probably ever know. A queer student wrote me a note once saying that we’d made the library feel like a safe space for her, and I’ve treasured her words ever since. All kids deserve to know they’re valued and loved.

School libraries allow students the chance to be curious.

Whether a student wants a book or online resources, they can use the library to examine what they’re curious about. I’ve had students ask me for information about a slew of topics, including computer coding, hairstyling, dog training, writing, religion, and so much more. Once I had a student ask for books on World War III, and I had to reassure him that that hasn’t actually happened yet. Kids are naturally curious. The library provides a place where that curiosity can be fostered.

School libraries are fun!

Focus and hard work are essential if a student is going to flourish, but having fun is vital to their school experience. If we want kids to love reading and learning, they have to enjoy themselves in the process. In addition to books, one of the schools I serve checks out drawing tablets, board games, sewing machines, and podcast equipment. Several sites set out puzzles for kids to work on during lunch.

Learning is obviously the cornerstone of the library's foundation, but fun is necessary if students are going to become lifelong library users. I’d hate to think someone never sets foot in libraries as an adult because they were always bored in libraries as a kid.

School libraries offer representation.

The schools I’ve always worked in have been predominantly white. That’s why it’s so important that when I do social media posts and book displays, I feature a diverse array of authors and subjects. Students who look around at their peers might not always see other kids or teachers who look or live like they do, but it’s essential for them to see themselves reflected somewhere.

It's also important to offer all students access to new viewpoints. I can look back throughout my life and name the books that opened my eyes to something I'd never considered before or changed the way I understood a certain topic. I want students of color to recognize themselves in their library’s book collection, and I want that collection to offer unique ideas and ways of seeing the world. People have an innate need to feel like they belong, and school libraries can help as long as they make diversity a priority in both their collections and marketing.

School libraries give students a voice.

Another way libraries make sure students feel seen and represented is to give them a voice regarding the library’s direction. After years of research and experience, I’ve developed a very impressive and advanced trick I like to call asking. Ask kids what books they’d like to see on the shelf, and they’ll know you care about their opinions. Ask the ones who always run toward the computers what kind of games or programs they enjoy, and they’ll know you noticed their excitement about technology. Ask the student who says your horror section is too small what books she’d suggest the library purchase next and she’ll know you care about her favorite genre. (Once a student who mostly read adult books told me the school library had too much YA. I told her there wasn’t much I could do about that one.) Asking for feedback is such a simple thing, but it helps students understand their opinions count for something. For students who feel misunderstood or looked over, that can be a big boost to their confidence and sense of community.

If you’d like to support my work, comment, share, upgrade to a paid subscription, buy me a coffee, or shop my bookshop or affiliate links. I love doing this work, and I’m thankful to have you in this community!