Protecting reading time when test prep takes over the library

A school library should give students regular access to novels, nonfiction, magazines and quiet reading, not function as a warehouse for practice booklets. In Australia, families may notice this shift around NAPLAN, school-based assessments, selective-entry preparation or commercial literacy programs. Asking the librarian about it can reveal whether workbooks are occasional resources or displacing the broader reading program.

The conversation is most useful when it focuses on time, choice and educational purpose rather than blaming an individual staff member. A librarian may have limited control over timetables, purchasing or teacher-directed lessons, but they can often explain how resources are selected and where parent concerns should go.

Start with a respectful, specific conversation

Ask for a brief meeting before or after school, rather than raising the issue during a busy borrowing session. A simple opening might be: “I’ve noticed students are spending library time on test-preparation workbooks. Could you explain how often this happens and what reading opportunities sit alongside it?”

Bring an observation rather than an accusation. Note the year level, approximate frequency and what students were doing. In a Melbourne primary school, for example, “I saw three library sessions used for spelling and numeracy booklets this term” is more productive than saying the library has been “taken over”.

Ask how the decision was made

Find out whether the workbook use comes from the librarian, classroom teachers, the head of curriculum or a whole-school assessment policy. School libraries often operate within a larger plan, and the librarian may simply be supervising a lesson designed elsewhere.

Useful questions include: “Was this resource recommended by the department?”, “Is it part of the annual library plan?”, and “Who reviews its effectiveness?” You can also ask whether the school has considered the Australian Curriculum’s emphasis on literacy, critical thinking and engagement with varied texts, rather than treating test rehearsal as the only measure of progress.

Clarify what reading time has been replaced

The key issue is not whether a workbook ever appears in the library. Short, purposeful practice may have a legitimate place. The concern is whether it reduces sustained reading, book selection, research skills, storytelling, teacher read-alouds or access to culturally diverse literature.

Ask how many sessions are affected across a term and whether students can still borrow books during those periods. In regional Queensland or Western Australia, where library access may be limited by staffing and distance, losing even one regular session can have a greater impact than families realise.

Ask about student choice and accessibility

A strong library program usually offers students some agency: choosing a suitable book, following an interest, discussing a text or exploring different formats. Ask whether students who finish a workbook can read independently, and whether reluctant readers are offered graphic novels, audiobooks, large-print texts or books connected with their culture and community.

This matters for students with disability, English as an additional language and those who do not thrive under timed practice. A commercially produced booklet may be inexpensive and easy to distribute, but it is not automatically an inclusive literacy resource.

Request the school’s evidence

Rather than debating whether test preparation is “good” or “bad”, ask what evidence supports the arrangement. Has the school compared workbook use with library borrowing, reading stamina, comprehension or student engagement? Are teachers monitoring whether repeated drills improve results or simply consume instructional time?

Parents can request the relevant policy, resource list or timetable through ordinary school channels. In New South Wales, a P&C meeting may be an appropriate place to discuss the balance between assessment preparation and reading for pleasure. Keep notes of dates, answers and documents so the concern remains factual.

Connect the concern to wider education choices

The question is part of a larger debate about who sets educational priorities: classroom professionals, school leaders, departments, commercial publishers or families and local communities. Standardised testing and data-driven programs can narrow what counts as achievement when schools feel pressure to produce measurable results.

For families interested in local control, national advocacy examples can provide useful organising ideas even when the policy setting differs. This Albany organising guide shows how parents and community members can coordinate around education decisions, build shared demands and communicate with officials.

Agree on a practical next step

If the librarian acknowledges the concern, suggest a modest review rather than demanding an immediate ban. The school might restore a weekly choice-reading session, publish the number of workbook lessons, invite student feedback or trial a period in which assessment practice occurs outside library time.

If the librarian cannot change the timetable, ask who can: the deputy principal, principal, curriculum leader or school council. In Victoria, a school council can provide a formal route for community discussion; elsewhere, the equivalent may be a parent committee or governing body.

After the meeting, send a short email recording what was discussed and any agreed action. The concrete next step is to request the library timetable for the current term and mark which sessions are devoted to workbook-based test preparation.