Too many schools are turning their libraries into classrooms and throwing away books, a teaching union warned today.
Other school libraries are too small and do not have enough computers for all children to use, according to a survey of teachers.
More than one in five school staff said their school library budget has been cut by at least 40 per cent since 2010.
The report, by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, called for Ofsted inspectors to report on the state of the library in each school they visit.
Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of ATL, said some schools have fantastic libraries. But she added: “We are also hearing alarming stories of schools cutting library hours and staff, or turning their libraries into classrooms and binning their books.
"This is particularly worrying because reading for pleasure develops children’s literacy, educational attainment and ultimately their chances in life.
“Getting rid of school libraries also risks increasing inequalities and further disadvantaging the most deprived children who are less likely to have access to books or computers at home and will have less access to public libraries since so many are closing.”
An anonymous member of staff from a primary school in London who works with children with special needs said: “Our school had an excellent library full of books. Sadly the library was dismantled last year and all the wealth of reading matter got rid of to create more space for group intervention work and other activities.”
Another primary school teacher told researchers: “The new head has decided a library is no longer needed so is planning to get rid of it as all reading can be done on iPads.”
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A teacher from Surrey said “a whole load of books went into a skip”, while a teacher in Cornwall said: “Our library has become a wall of shelves in a corridor with two chairs — we used to have a designated room where children could sit and read or research. We needed the space for another classroom.”
There is no statutory duty for schools to have libraries or provide access to school library services. But 94 per cent of the 485 school staff who responded to the survey said their school has one.
Linda Smith, past chair of the School Library Association, said: “School libraries and the staff who guide them are often the easiest department to reduce during times of economic cuts. This is exacerbated by the fact that school library provision remains an optional extra and there is no statutory necessity to house a library within a school and the misguided belief that being a digital native is synonymous with literacy.”
Nick Poole, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, said: “ATL’s survey paints a worrying picture of the state of the UK’s school libraries. Every parent wants the best for their child so they have equal opportunities and the same life chances as everyone else. Unfortunately not all children can benefit from the skills of a librarian in their school.
“We firmly endorse ATL’s call for inspections to include school libraries. Skilled staff significantly improve the quality of school libraries and increase access to their services.”