Why Every Teacher in Your School Is Accidentally Doing a Librarian's Job (And What It's Costing You)

A student looking for books in the school library

As a headteacher, you're constantly juggling budget decisions. When exam results are strong and students seem to be managing without heavy library use, it's tempting to see that budget line as an easy place to make cuts. But what if I told you that decision could be costing you more than you save?

The Hidden Costs of the "We Don't Need It" Mindset

Yes, your high-achieving students are getting good grades. But here's what's happening behind the scenes that doesn't show up in your current data:

The AI Challenge Your Teachers Are Facing Alone. Your teachers are grappling with when students should use AI tools and when they shouldn't, how to detect inappropriate AI use, and how to teach students to think critically about AI-generated information. Meanwhile, librarians are uniquely skilled in evaluating information quality and teaching students to question sources - exactly the skills needed to navigate AI effectively. Without this expertise, your teachers are reinventing the wheel across every department.

Your Sixth Form Results May Be Masking Future Problems. Students arriving at university are struggling in their first six months, not because they lack subject knowledge, but because they can't navigate academic resources effectively. This reflects on your school's preparation standards, even if it doesn't impact your league table position immediately.

You're Creating Inequality by Accident. Your students from homes with extensive book collections and reliable internet are fine. However, you're inadvertently disadvantaging students who don't have these resources at home - exactly the students your school exists to support and level up.

The Real Budget Question

Instead of asking "Can we afford our library and staff?" ask "Can we afford not to maximise this resource?"

Consider the actual costs:

• Teacher time spent developing AI policies and guidance without the information evaluation expertise that librarians can contribute

• Students developing poor information evaluation habits in an AI-dominated world

• Missing opportunities to integrate media and information literacy across subjects

• Potential reputation impact as employers increasingly value critical thinking over information recall

• Teachers struggling individually with AI integration instead of having expert support

  
  

What Effective Library Investment Actually Delivers

When properly integrated, your library service should be:

• Reducing teacher workload by handling research skill development

• Supporting project work across Years 7-10, building the foundation skills students need before GCSE

• Supporting exam performance by developing students' ability to analyse and evaluate sources effectively

• Supporting your digital strategy by teaching students media and information literacy skills to navigate online information critically

• Managing AI integration effectively - librarians understand how to teach students when and how to use AI tools appropriately while developing their own critical thinking

• Preparing students for changing assessment methods that will increasingly reward analysis over recall

  
  

The Integration Challenge

If your library feels underused, the problem isn't that students don't need these skills - it's that the service isn't properly integrated into your curriculum delivery. This is a management issue, not a resource issue.

Questions for Your Next Budget Review

1. How much teacher time could we reclaim if AI literacy and inquiry skills were taught systematically in Years 7-10 rather than each teacher developing their own approach?

2. What would stronger analytical skills and source evaluation abilities do for our exam results?

3. How prepared are our students for university-level independent research?

4. Are we accidentally creating a two-tier system based on students' home resources?

   
   

The schools seeing the best return on library investment aren't treating it as a separate service - they're integrating it as curriculum support that makes everything else work more efficiently.

Your Next Steps

Before making budget cuts, audit what your current library provision actually delivers versus what it could deliver with better integration. You might find you're sitting on an underutilised asset rather than an unnecessary expense.

The question isn't whether some students can succeed without library support - it's whether you're prepared to design your school around the students who would succeed regardless, rather than ensuring every student has the tools to thrive.

I work with schools to help them maximise the value of their library services and integrate inquiry across the curriculum. If you're reviewing your library provision or want to explore how to get better returns on this investment, I'd be happy to discuss your specific context.