Having a print-rich environment is important," says John Murphy, who is an English and history teacher in Ireland and blogs at Web of Notes. "The surroundings should encourage reading in all its forms and support their choices of reading material. I don't simply mean putting up a poster which tries to promote reading because it's 'cool' - I think they're totally ineffective. Instead, students and teachers could share the name of the book that they're reading at the moment, and offer a sentence about it. It's a great way to share recommendations."

Being pulled into the world of a gripping novel can trigger actual, measurable changes in the brain that linger for at least five days after reading, scientists have said.

I think there's something so magical about being literally surrounded by books, able to browse and wander and discover independently

At a time when public libraries are starting to offer everything from community gardening plots to opportunities to check out humans for conversations, some school libraries are similarly re-evaluating their roles and expanding their offerings.

A useful website