Library services for schools
East Sussex Libraries provide a range of services for schools in the county.
We can help improve your school library and promote reading for learning and pleasure.
Visit East Sussex Libraries | Services 2 Schools to find out about all our available services or get in touch.
Free resources for schools
These library services and resources are free for everyone:
Library membership for teachers
Find out about library membership for teachers and our Teachers' Collection of books:
Teachers' membership | East Sussex County Council
Class visits
Find out about class visits to your library and our new virtual class visit option:
Class visits | Services 2 Schools
East Sussex Children's Book Award (ESCBA)
East Sussex Children's Book Award - October to June
We’ve taken the hard work out of finding books to recommend to your pupils in years 5 and 6, to promote reading for pleasure.
The award runs from October to June and it's free to take part.
Schools that register receive a Book Award Support Pack and invitations to author events. Pupils can enter related competitions and activities and submit questions for the shortlisted authors.
In May, pupils can vote for their favourite book. In June, we have a celebration event and announce the winner.
All titles are free to:
- borrow from our libraries. Find your local library | East Sussex County Council
- reserve on our East Sussex library catalogue
- download as e-books from Kids library | OverDrive
You can buy your own copies of the six shortlisted books through the Library Service with a 20% discount.
Services to buy - Reading for Pleasure
We understand that schools can find promoting reading for pleasure a challenge. You want to give pupils a tempting choice of the latest fiction, old favourites and some more unusual choices.
Our Reading for Pleasure offer means we do the hard work for you. Our professional staff can help refresh your school library. We select and supply you with quality books to keep.
You will get a box of 30 books. There will be a range for KS1 and KS2, but we will not divide the books into age-specific categories.
The books cover four main areas:
- established authors and popular titles
- recently published authors (in paperback – published in last 2 years)
- picture books
- high interest, low ability texts
This will ensure that your school has a good selection of books to encourage pupils to read for pleasure. If you would like us to use our specialist knowledge to buy specific types of books or target specific age groups we can also do this for you.
The service will cost £175 for 30 books.
We can also help to improve your non-fiction collections.
For help, email library.enquiries@eastsussex.gov.uk
To buy visit East Sussex Libraries Services 2 Schools
Services to buy - Library Advisory
Our team of professional librarians can help you develop your school library as flexible space used to support teaching and learning and as a resource to promote wider reading by pupils. Your library can raise the profile of reading for pleasure, and improve skills in independent research.
You can buy in Librarian Advisory Time through our Services 2 Schools web shop. a librarian will come to your school, engage with your team and work on your library or resources centre.
Schools that meet specific criteria may be entitled to one or more free advisory sessions. Please contact
library enquiries to see if your school is eligible.
We offer the following services to primary, secondary and special schools:
- Organisation and management of library resources including stock edits and stock profiles to identify strengths and weaknesses
- Advice on classification and guiding.
- Help with planning a new library or enhancing your existing provision.
- Assist with stock selection, maintenance and promotion
Service Details
We meet to discuss your needs and priorities and plan the advisory visit.
Typically, during an advisory visit we will:
- Edit your non-fiction and / or fiction stock
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Identify any gaps in subject provision or reading for pleasure
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Advise on any necessary labelling, guiding or categorisation to be carried out by school staff or volunteers
Depending on your priorities, advisory time can also be used for the following:
- Train library staff or volunteers.
- Help with planning a new library or enhancing your existing provision
- Assist with stock selection, maintenance and promotion
Prices start at £75 for one librarian for half a day.
After an advisory visit we will provide a report identifying strengths and areas for further development of the stock and the facilities in the library.
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