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Research on the Impact of Foreign School Libraries Over the Past Decade and Its Implications

  • Yu Binbin ,
  • Zhao Yuchen ,
  • Liu Xiaorui ,
  • Li Miao
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  • 1 Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387;
    2 Tianjin The Second Yaohua High School, Tianjin 300163
Yu Binbin, Lecturer, PhD, Master's Supervisor, E-mail: yubinbin77@163.com; Zhao Yuchen, Master's Candidate; Liu Xiaorui, Master's Candidate; Li Miao, Librarian, Master's Degree.

Received date: 2025-05-16

  Revised date: 2025-08-28

  Online published: 2026-07-13

Supported by

This work is supported by the National Social Science Fund of China Project titled “Research on the High-Quality Development of Secondary School Libraries and Its Mechanism of Impact on Students’ Core Competencies under the Context of Building an Education Powerhouse” (Grant No. 23BTQ014).

Abstract

[Purpose/Significance] Impact study of school library is a kind of research topic that examines the value or changes that school libraries bring to students’ learning and growth. It is regarded as the most compelling evidence for identifying and highlighting the value of school libraries. [Method/Process] This study examined the connotation and characteristics of library impact studies, and revealed the international research progress over the past decade through literature analysis, and proposed feasible approaches for conducting school library impact study in China based on these. [Result/Conclusion] The most notable shift in international research lied in critically reflecting on the limitations of prior studies, and transitioning from examining correlational relationships to rigorously testing causal relationships. Recent efforts have focused on identifying the multifaceted value of school libraries in enhancing students’ academic performance, reading outcomes, and wellbeing through more stringent control of confounding variables and the adoption of robust quasi-experimental research designs. Emphasis was placed on theoretical innovation in the mechanism of school libraries’ impact, but progress was slow. In China, school library impact studies urgently need to be comprehensively initiated. Building on international progress, particularly the paradigm shift toward causal analysis, researchers could adopt the “core competencies and values” framework to investigate the precise mechanisms through which high-quality libraries empower students’ holistic development. Concurrently, accelerating theoretical innovation will enable Chinese scholarship to contribute meaningfully to global academic dialogues.

Cite this article

Yu Binbin , Zhao Yuchen , Liu Xiaorui , Li Miao . Research on the Impact of Foreign School Libraries Over the Past Decade and Its Implications[J]. Library and Information Service, 2026 , 70(14) : 145 -156 . DOI: 10.13266/j.issn.0252-3116.2026.14.011

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