WITHIN the covers of a book, children can explore worlds they may never otherwise see.
But growing concerns over shrinking library budgets and the loss of qualified librarians are raising questions about whether every Australian child is being given that opportunity.
Long before children realise it, reading is shaping who they become, strengthening communication and critical thinking while giving them the confidence to dream beyond the limits of their own experience.
As schools across Australia mark MS Readathon and Children’s Book Week, the celebrations come against a concerning backdrop, with research revealing significant gaps in funding, staffing and access to books in school libraries.
Research by Dymocks Children’s Charities found that of 47 Queensland state schools surveyed, 12 had no budget at all for new books, while 31 had either one librarian or no librarian.
“Through our work with schools across Australia, we’re seeing firsthand the impact of underfunded libraries, from limited or no budgets for new books to reduced access to qualified librarians,” Dymocks Children’s Charities general manager Melanie Smith said.
“For children, particularly in disadvantaged communities, that directly affects their ability to engage with reading and succeed at school.”
The findings have added to calls for greater investment in school libraries at a time when literacy remains one of the most important foundations of a child’s education.
Research by the Australian Council for Educational Research has found students attending schools with qualified teacher librarians achieve stronger NAPLAN literacy results, while well-resourced and professionally staffed libraries have consistently been associated with improved student achievement.
Other research has found children with access to quality school libraries read more frequently, enjoy reading more, have greater confidence in their ability and develop more positive attitudes towards books.
The 2025 Australian School Library Survey found 43 per cent of respondents believed their library budget was inadequate, while 56 per cent said their library was not adequately staffed.
Almost one in three schools reported their library budget had been cut, while one in four reported reduced staffing, with financial pressures and leadership changes among the most commonly cited reasons.
The figures point to a broader challenge because reading is not simply another classroom subject but the foundation upon which most other subjects are built.
A child struggling to read is not only disadvantaged in English with literacy affecting their ability to understand a maths problem, follow a science experiment, research history, navigate technology and eventually participate confidently in further education and the workforce.
The benefits also begin long before a child enters a classroom, with research consistently showing children who are read to from an early age develop larger vocabularies and stronger language skills.
