Presents extracts from reports of surveys and studies of the impact of school library/media centre on academic performance and behaviour of students in elementary and secondary schools. In general, the literature and survey reports affirm that in schools, students’ academic performance (and in tests) is significantly better where the school library is managed by professionally qualified high-performing library/media specialist Although socio–economic factors relating to student, family, and school affect academic success, school library characteristics account for up to eight percent of the variance in reading–related test scores. Inequity in the quality and availability of library resources do exist between both high– and low–poverty schools as well as high– and low–performing schools. Effective library professionals perform a variety of tasks, including student instruction and teachers’ professional development; they not only manage the library and its services but also create environments in which there can occur creative and collaborative activities. There is a need for local, evidence-based practice if the roles of the school library and teacher-librarian in student learning are to be valued in the way that the researches suggests. Such research is an important strategic tool for raising the profile and prestige of library/media professionals and for reinforcing in the minds of policy-makers and school communities the crucial contribution that school libraries can make to student achievement. Most of the studies have been done in schools of more developed societies. Quite a few of the findings may be applicable to schools in developing country environments also but the impact of diversity of culture, language, socio-economic factors, paucity of resources, low literacy rate, gender issues etc., quite commonly prevalent in developing environments need to be examined.
