Does your school have a library?

One in seven primary schools in the UK do not have a library, according to the National Literacy Trust

The government has announced there will be a library in every primary school in England by 2029.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves - who is the person in charge of controlling how government money is spent - made the announcement on Monday, promising to spend over £10m on the project.

She said: "It is our mission to give every child the best start in life, regardless of their background or where they're from. This announcement is a key milestone in achieving that."

Right now, there are around 1,700 primaries without a library. The government has said it will "set out further details of the scheme in due course."

We want to hear from you! Does your school have a library?

If so, what's it like? Do you get to use it often?

Let us know in the comments below...

Why are school libraries important?

Reading is great for entertainment, but also for our health and wellbeing

Research shows that school libraries positively impact lots of areas of children's lives.

The National Literacy Trust - a charity that helps young people with reading - says when children have access to books, it can boost confidence and wellbeing, as well as improving academic performance too.

However, last year the charity revealed that only one in three children enjoy reading, which is the lowest it's been in 20 years.

Rachel Reeves hopes that by primary schools having libraries, kids will have the chance "to learn, grow, and explore their interests".

How do people feel about the news?

Some big children's book creators are happy about the news.

Cressida Cowell, author of the How to Train Your Dragon series, says she is "absolutely thrilled" and that creating libraries is "urgent" and "important".

Whilst the illustrator of Zog, Axel Scheffler, says that every child deserves a school library, "no matter where they live or what their background is".

Campaign groups who have wanted libraries in primary schools for a long time agree.

The National Literacy Trust says the announcement will allow almost half a million more children to "unlock the unrivalled benefits of reading".

Do you have a library in your school?

Other groups want to make sure the government gives schools everything they need so that children can get the most out of libraries.

Paul Whiteman, who is in charge of the school leaders' union NAHT, is concerned about a lack of "space and staffing" when it comes to running the libraries. He hopes that some of the money will be used to tackle those challenges.

Meanwhile, the School Library Association says the announcement is "excellent news" but that "to be successful", every school must "be equipped with the skills and funds they need to maintain, manage and promote" their library.

They want to make sure that the government isn't just opening libraries but also giving schools enough money and staff to keep them open for a long time.

For example, school libraries having librarians because they are experts in engaging with kids who don't like reading and make books easy to find and fun to read.

Does your school have a library? If so, what's it like? Do you get to use it often, and do you like reading?

Let us know in the comments below...