We can't afford not to

The joy (of reading) has been mine all my life, and it is one I wish for all South Africans.” (Nelson Mandela 2005).

For over two decades international research has proven that school libraries are beneficial to the progress and academic development of learners. In a major international study, for instance, researchers concluded that a stocked, staffed and fully-funded library in operation within a school alone improves students’ reading performance by as much as 8%. Beyond direct academic benefits, libraries offer social advantages too. In a survey, over 50% of learners identified school libraries as places where they would do homework and study for exams.

Libraries are essential for this country to improve its poor literacy and numeracy levels and to provide access to much-needed information (information literacy). Access to a library improves general academic performances since reading strengthens interpretational abilities. In communities where homes lack books and quiet spaces, school libraries offer stable sites for learning. School libraries do not only give children access to reading material and expose them to the joys of reading, but it often provides a save space for study that might not be available at home.

We can’t afford not to...