(1 May 2023) Today we’ve released the fourth report in a series of national surveys of school libraries in Aotearoa New Zealand that started in 2018.
What we found in 2022
As each school makes their own decisions about library funding, there are still persistent variations between schools in every aspect of library provision that we asked about in the 2022 survey.
- Most primary and intermediate school library staff at responding schools work part-time, and most secondary school staff work full-time. For responding composite schools, it’s half and half.
- Library staff responses about their pay were generally less positive than in 2021. However, more respondents felt they were well supported by their school’s leadership team than in 2021.
- Responses relating to library staff turnover are similar to 2021 findings, with 25% either planning to retire or currently looking for other work. 30% of responding school library staff have 5 years or less experience working in school libraries.
- Library collections are still predominantly print books, and respondents expect this to continue.
- The median per-student budget across all school types has fallen compared with 2021 findings. Responding composite and intermediate schools’ median budgets have fallen, while primary and secondary school budgets have risen.
Read the full report: School libraries in Aotearoa New Zealand — 2022.
The news in full is here.
