Reading Culture
Build A Strong Reading Culture
A strong reading culture doesn’t happen through one-off events or displays. It grows when students have access to books they want to read, time and space to read, adults who value reading, and regular opportunities to talk about and share books.
School libraries are uniquely placed to bring these elements together. Explore practical strategies, ideas and resources to help make reading visible, valued and part of everyday school life.
What does a strong reading culture look like?
A strong reading culture is one where
- there are opportunities for reading,
- students have choice and autonomy in their reading,
- students and staff engage regularly in reading for pleasure,
- encouragement and support of reading is visible across the school,
- motivation for reading is intrinsic.
Library lessons to support reading for pleasure
Reading for pleasure involves a range of skills students need to learn. From how to sustain reading to selecting a book. Library lessons can support a reading culture through visibility of reading and developing student autonomy.
Library Lessons: Reading Identity
BRB Time - Browsing, Reading, Borrowing
Creating space to read
Reading needs to be seen and valued. And creating space for reading - either in the day or as a visible place, is important in building a reading culture. Do classrooms have reading spots? Do students have access to the collection and not just during lessons? Does the school library have a dedicated spot for reading?
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Making reading social
How to know if it's working
Loan statistics can tell us something about reading engagement, but they are not the whole story. There are many ways to measure reading culture, from formal reviews and surveys to observation of the characteristics of a reading culture.
© Copyright 2026 Madison Dearnaley.