TRANSFORMING SCHOOL LIBRARIES INTO FUNCTIONAL LEARNING SPACES

Abstract

This case study presents a block-level educational initiative that aimed to transform school libraries into active learning spaces to promote reading habits and strengthen Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) among children. The initiative was implemented across 95 elementary schools over three academic sessions (2023–24, 2024–25, and 2025–26) in a rural mountainous region of Uttarakhand. Instead of focusing on building new infrastructure, the intervention emphasized improving access to books and integrating library use into regular classroom practices. Schools introduced open book displays, classroom reading corners, structured library periods, home book circulation, and age-appropriate book categorization. Community participation was also encouraged to support children’s reading habits. Feedback was collected from schools through structured responses, institutional records, and reflections from school leaders indicated a noticeable increase in students’ interest in reading. Teachers also reported improvements in reading fluency, vocabulary, classroom participation, and overall engagement. Many schools observed a 10–20 percent improvement in language assessment outcomes. The findings suggest that strengthening reading culture in schools does not necessarily require large investments in infrastructure. Rather, it depends on improving access to books, integrating reading into everyday teaching practices, and encouraging student choice and participation. The case highlights how even resource-constrained schools can improve literacy outcomes through simple but well-planned institutional changes.