Teacher librarians as influencers on reading cultures in schools

Teacher librarians are influencers! One area they use this influence in is the promotion of reading for pleasure; an area that has demonstrated significant impact on student outcomes (Cliff Hodges, 2010; Jennifer & Ponniah, 2015; Krashen, 2020; Laurenson et al., 2015; McQuillan, 2019; Whitten et al., 2016). However, there are a number of factors that can hinder the teacher librarian’s influence in this area, such as student reading identities (Clark et al., 2008; Dierking, 2015; Gagen-Spriggs, 2020; Lee et al., 2021; Lin et al., 2021; Masterson, 2022; Merga, 2017), reading motivation (Gagen-Spriggs, 2020; Gambrell et al., 1996; Malloy et al., 2013), staff and student perceptions and experiences (Atkinson, 2006; Beumer Johnson, 2011; Clark et al., 2008; Dowell, 2019; Erickson, 2022), and support from school leadership (Henri & Boyd, 2001; Merga, 2019; Merga & Mason, 2019). It is therefore essential that teacher librarians harness their influence to positively affect the reading culture within their schools to increase engagement with reading for pleasure.