Why Now is the Moment for Secure, Cost-Effective Educational Library Security Solutions, According to CILIP
As you know, libraries play a fundamental role in education, from primary school through to university. Protecting library assets efficiently and affordably has never been more important, according to CILIP (Chartered Institute & Information Professionals) and recent government initiatives.
Intrepid Security’s depth of knowledge across years of experience, alongside our state-of-the-art technology, positions us as the go-to security service. Our Library and Education security solutions directly combat the challenges the education sector and libraries face, as we will unpack.
The Position of Educational Libraries
Improving libraries in education is coming into the spotlight, with CILIP and recent government initiatives:
According to CILIP, school libraries need to be “seen and funded as essential hubs for learning, not just optional extras”. They have previously worked on the development of educational libraries under their #GreatSchoolLibraries campaign.
In September 2025, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that the government will deliver a library for every primary school in England by 2029 with their £10 million funding.
In the Autumn budget, Reeves announced £5 million funding for new books in secondary schools, meaning each school is set to receive £1,400 for new texts, drastically improving the resources available to students.
The National Year of Reading Campaign, launched by the Department of Education with the National Literacy Trust, is set to begin in January 2026. They aim to combat the decline in reading for pleasure by making it relevant, enjoyable and more accessible.
Educational libraries are clearly very important, as there are dedicated spending plans, government initiatives and specific organisations like CILIP in place.
Once these initiatives are in action and resources are available, they need to be protected.
Pain Points for Educational Libraries
Maintaining the resources you do have is crucial, which means advanced library security systems. Budget and the rise in theft are pain points for libraries, which is why they suffer. Alongside CILIP and government initiatives, libraries face a conflicting time. Will they thrive under support, or fall under pain points not properly addressed?
Firstly, the lack of budget in the education sector means that once a book is lost or stolen, your library won’t see that resource again. Funding is quickly spent on other areas such as teacher pay and special educational needs, so replacing texts is unlikely to be budgeted for.
Secondly, according to a BBC news article in July 2025, theft is “spiralling out of control”, likely due to the pandemic and cost of living crisis. The impact of theft from educational libraries is detrimental. The financial burden of stolen books isn’t budgeted for, students are deprived of access to learning materials, and often, other penalties such as late fines are introduced because of the lack of trust in resources.
Intrepid Security’s Library and Education Solutions
We’ve been supporting educational libraries for 30 years. We have the sector-specific understanding of what makes a safe space, as well as the cutting-edge technology to make it happen.
Understanding the tight budgets, we have a guide to library security that avoids breaking the bank:
Regular inventory checks will identify missing items quickly so that you can act accordingly and protect specific books that are subject to theft, such as special editions or popular collections.
Marking resources with a stamp, sticker, or cover will make proof of ownership easy.
Clear policies on display, including handling and borrowing materials, and consequences of theft, will make sure everyone knows the rules.
Maintaining thorough records of visitors, loans, and CCTV footage will make supervising resources and activity smoother.
Training staff on your security systems, how to spot suspicious activity and how to manage disruptive situations is a good idea for another level of day-to-day security.
Our Library and Education Security is a collection of advanced systems designed to keep resources, students, staff and information secure. From basic book security tags and self-service systems to CCTV installations and people counting monitors, our suite of security systems has been specifically designed to combat the environment’s unique challenges. We balance open access for students and the protection of valuable resources.
Now is the time to protect your books and support your students.
We are dedicated to providing efficient and affordable security solutions for educational libraries. Submit an enquiry to our team or directly contact us on info@intrepidgroup.co.uk for a consultation or quote.