These Guidelines are the recommendations of CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals for the effective management of secondary school libraries. They are addressed to head teachers, governors and all who are involved in the strategic management of education and who want to understand the potential of a good school library and how they can realize it. They are also intended to provide those who manage school libraries with practical guidance and material for advocacy. Whilst many of the resources that are mentioned have a UK focus, we believe that the underlying principles are applicable for an international audience.

It has been a privilege to build upon the work of the experienced practitioners who wrote the two earlier editions of these guidelines. The Library Association's Guidelines for Secondary School Libraries (Tilke, 1998) and The CILIP Guidelines for Secondary School Libraries (Barrett and Douglas, 2004) have been highly influential in guiding the development of secondary school libraries. This new edition addresses recent developments in educational thinking and information technology, in keeping with our vision of school librarians as forward thinkers in a changing world.

These guidelines are, by their very nature, aspirational and in an ideal world all schools would adhere to the principles outlined. However, the practical difficulties, not least of finding the right budget and personnel, mean that some schools will take the approach of ‘a work in progress’. Career paths vary considerably but professionalism drives a common ongoing search for improvement. The advice offered here should help schools to prioritize and implement improvements to library provision over time.

At the heart of these Guidelines are ten recommendations (see page vii) that are the foundations of excellent school library provision. CILIP hopes that these recommendations will be accepted and put into practice in every secondary school. Being aware that its vision for school library provision depends on partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders, CILIP also commends these Guidelines to the attention of education managers, policy makers and government.