Experts have called for school libraries to be made a legal right, arguing that they are currently treated less favourably than prison and public libraries. The issue was raised during a panel discussion at the London Book Fair on March 11th, hosted by English PEN, an organisation that protects freedom of expression for writers.
Louis Coiffait-Gunn, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), said: “Why is it that public and prison libraries are a right? We all have a right to those, but there isn't a right to a school library. That seems very short-sighted to me.” He warned that the biggest threat to children’s access to books is not individual book bans but a lack of funding and recognition.
Author Juno Dawson, a former educator, added: “The idea of a high school, without a library, without a librarian is madness. It's not a school.” The panel also included Dr Louisa Joyner, Associate Publisher at Faber, who highlighted the importance of libraries for private self-discovery, saying: “Books are radically intimate... You can go into a library... and read the first chapter without anyone knowing what you're looking at.”
The discussion comes amid concerns over the rise in book removal requests. In 2025, Kent County Council’s Reform UK leader Linden Kemkaran claimed transgender-related books had been removed from children’s sections, but a BBC report found only one adult book had been moved. According to The Guardian, requests to remove books from library shelves are increasing across the UK.
Research from the National Literacy Trust shows that just 1 in 3 children aged 8 to 18 enjoyed reading in their free time in 2025, while a quarter valued the freedom to choose what they read. Coiffait-Gunn’s Great School Library Campaign has shown that hundreds of schools lack a library or librarian, leaving many children without expert support.
