The Demise of the School Library

The demise of school libraries is a topic that I am very familiar with. Having worked in an elementary school library for approximately eight years plus my time volunteering in the library when my children were younger, has given me a good vantage point from which to comment. Additionally, my children went to school in Virginia which is where I also worked for three months as a library assistant helping to open a new school library.

In the school district where I worked in Virginia, every elementary school (except for very small schools) has a full time credentialed library teacher with a Master’s degree in library science, AND a full time library assistant. The role of the librarian and the importance of the library in a child’s education are highly valued. However, upon moving to San Diego in 2006 I was very surprised to find that almost none of the school districts seemed to have full time, credentialed, librarians. Of course, a part of me was excited since I was now qualified for many of the school library positions that I researched. In fact, I was able to obtain my job as the library media specialist (equivalent to library technician) which listed the minimum educational requirement as a high school diploma. So it became very clear to me right away that when budget cuts had to be made, libraries were downsized in their role at the school—the position changed from a credential full-time job to a classified, part-time, hourly position. However, the demands and responsibilities haven’t necessarily been downsized.  After seven years in this role that I love, I firmly believe that the libraries play a critical role in supporting a child’s academic success.

 I believe that the trend toward the demise of school libraries needs to be reversed and districts need to move their school libraries into the 21^st century. The YouTube video, 21st Century School Libraries, in my post below outlines how libraries play a vital role in schools at all levels, from elementary through high school, and how successful  libraries have evolved to incorporate new technologies by providing a large number of computers for research and doing projects.

As stated in the video, the role of librarians for many people is seen as a boring job of just checking books in and out and shelving books. Having done this job for a while now, I know nothing could be further from the truth. There are so many facets to this job, it is impossible to do it effectively on a part time basis. Nor is it one that can just be delegated to parent volunteers. One recommendation from a SDCOE library administrator whom I spoke to is that, librarians need to generate positive PR that educates the parents, community, administrators, and the school board about what librarians do and how the school library supports the Common Core education needs of the teachers and students. I hope that we are able to do that in my district and elsewhere and reverse this trend.