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September 2023 | Volume XLI, Issue 3 »

My Turn: Yes, School Libraries Still Exist, but to Keep Them is Going to Require Your Help

September 1, 2023
Leah Gregory, Illinois Heartland Library System

Recently, a poster on a school library listserv I frequent asked, “Are there still middle school libraries?” The poster said her administrator stated that “middle schools don’t really have libraries anymore.” Since the administrator coveted the library’s classroom space, he advised her that the library’s demise was near. The listserv instantly jumped to life with indignant posts. Are there still middle school libraries? The answer is a resounding, “Yes!” There are hundreds of middle school libraries in Illinois.

The most oft-repeated reply to this query was, “Where did that principal go to school? I want to warn our administrators not to recruit there.” Most of all, there was heartbreak. How can one of the most essential services in a school be sidelined by an administrator who seemingly has no idea of the value of libraries and librarians to his students? What’s more, the administrator had already made the decision. He did no research, asked no advice, convened no committee, conducted no library usage surveys, and asked no students or teachers what the library does for them.

Administrators, we get it, you need more space, and you need more money. Our country needs to address that, but your school library is the last place to skimp. Studies prove that school libraries promote students’ success. Let’s look at some research-proven statistics:

• 67% of children ages 6-17 find books to read from libraries. The same report shows that children from low-income vamilies are more likely to get books from school libraries.¹
• Schools that gained librarians have shown increased standardized reading test scores over schools that lost libraries and/or librarians.²
• In Illinois high schools, ACT scores were highest in schools where librarians collaborate with teachers.³
• School librarians are critical for teaching digital literacy skills, online citizenship, and internet safety.⁴
•  School libraries are not just for learning–they are a community within a school that provides a safe space for many diverse students. “Students today are often anxious and overwhelmed. Many just need a place to take a break, relax, explore ideas, or simply feel that they belong and are welcome.”⁵

I can’t understand why we are still discussing whether schools need libraries despite all the available research on this subject, but here we are. So, let’s look at further issues administrators may not consider when libraries are on the chopping block.

First, anti-library decision-makers love to say that everything is online. Anyone who regularly surfs the web knows that this is untrue. I often encounter paywalls in the most basic of internet searches for news. I usually decide whether to pay the fee or subscription based on how important the answer is to me. I certainly can’t afford to pay for everything I want to access behind a paywall. What if I had a school assignment that required it? How is a student with no credit card or money supposed to get that information? Parents or guardians can’t drop $9.99, $14.99, or $29.99 every time a student needs an article, and then remember to cancel the initial subscription to avoid paying for a year of access they no longer need. There is a clear link between information provided on the internet and providers’ desire to obtain personal details and other online habits. Do we want our students to turn over their email addresses, names, and locations to every random website with the needed information?

Supposing students can find free information online, how do they know how to vet it? As a trained library professional, even I find the hits returned by Google overwhelming. How often do we find our elderly loved ones convinced of something preposterous they read online? A twelve-year-old student who spends time on TikTok might believe that everyone they see online is an expert. How can we expect children to make discernments that many adults struggle with? Librarians can and do teach the skills of determining what resources are accurate, reliable, unbiased, and appropriate.

A second major argument from people who want to ax school libraries is that students can use public libraries. Public libraries are fantastic, valuable resources for students who can get to one. Do the majority of students in your area ride the bus to school? Is there a bus to your local public library? If a student lives in a suburban or rural area, how will they get to the public library? Worse yet, towns may have multiple districts, and residents may not live within a library district. The students who fall outside a library’s tax district may have to pay a non-resident fee, which can be out of reach to many families. It’s heartbreaking to consider that low-income students, students with parents or guardians who work nights, or those living too far away are out of luck when their school library closes. There is no guarantee that a parent or guardian has the resources, time, ability, or the desire to drive their student to a public library. Digital resources are not the answer, as students may not have access to the internet or a device at home. Digital resources may also cost money a student and their family does not have. A school library immediately solves many American citizens’ access issues.

Yet another common refrain is, “Kids don’t read for pleasure anymore anyway.” Kids who have access to books they want to read, read. If your library is a dusty room full of books published in 1965, no, they will not read those. A good school librarian will build a reading culture, select appropriate books, and encourage reading. A school librarian can turn a resolute non-reader into a voracious reader by suggesting a magical book that converts them. It’s a miracle that happens regularly in school libraries, but it requires a staff member who has the time to build a connection, a collection to pull from, and the skill to do reader advisory. Kids who read for pleasure build reading skills that allow them to become better readers, which benefits them academically. Administrators are short-sighted to close the one place where reading is fun instead of a requirement.

I regularly make these arguments as a School Library Membership Coordinator at Illinois Heartland Library System. One of my ongoing goals is to convince schools without libraries that they need to open a library. But districts with a functioning library, with a librarian or library staff in place, deciding to close their libraries? I will never understand that. You may save money temporarily but must compensate for the impact of the library being gone. Your reading scores will decrease, and you’ll have to hire a specialist or pay for new programs that address those losses. You’ll have to find someone to teach media literacy, now state law. Your students will struggle in college because they’ve never learned to use databases or reference materials. And worst of all, many students will never learn to love reading.

Recently, I have had the pleasure of helping schools establish libraries. Three small, rural school districts said they have realized the importance of libraries and librarians. These rural districts have committed to the requirements of the Illinois State Library, which include a dedicated library space, a dedicated staff member for at least 15 hours per week, and ongoing financial support for the library. The administrators of these schools are choosing to provide their students with the opportunity to improve their media literacy, love of reading, and research skills. I always argue that opening a library in your school doesn’t take a huge expenditure outlay. Schools can apply for grant funding to get started, and if you are a member of Illinois library systems, you can get free training on grant applications. If you are a parent of a school-age child, ask your administration if your school has a library. If the school doesn’t have a library, ask them why not. Parents need to advocate for school libraries as much as they advocate for the football team and extracurricular activities. If you teach a subject that would benefit from having a library and access to research materials (English, History, Civics, Electives, I’m looking at you), tell your school administration how much that would help your students. If you are a student and don’t have a library, ask your administrators to start one.

I am also fighting against the closure of school libraries. A high school near my office recently informed us that it intended to close its library. After much back and forth with them, they have agreed to keep it open, saying that one person 15 hours per week is little to spend for a functioning library. This kind of win is rare–a school district in the northern area of our territory decided to close its high school library and keep only the elementary library open. I am saddened for those high school students who will no longer have access to research materials. I work with many community colleges who say that most of their students arrive with no preparation to do college-level research. This skill will only become more rare as high schools close their libraries and fail their students in preparing them for college success.

If you are a taxpayer in a school district and value libraries, please reach out to your school district administration and let them know how critical it is to keep libraries open. Write to the Illinois State Board of Education and ask them to require school librarians in every school. Take your children to the public library if you’re able. Let them become educated, civic-minded users of libraries, so they can advocate for libraries when they reach the voting age. If you are a student with a library, tell your administrators how important it is to you!

Public libraries can also support schools through partnerships. The Metro East area has several public libraries that support school libraries. We run the gamut, from a public librarian going into the schools to provide library services, to a public library that partners with the schools to have textbooks in their public library and enroll kids in summer reading at the schools, to agreements that students can use their school identification at public libraries. These are complicated arrangements and require intra-governmental agreements. I caution libraries to follow Illinois laws to ensure libraries stay open and eligible for system membership and state grants. Partnerships are not simply a case of outsourcing your library service to a public library but a genuine, committed, interactive relationship where both parties have responsibilities and receive benefits. Join me in fighting for school libraries. When I contact school  administrators and hear these same tired arguments, it is evident that no one else is telling them how important a school library is to a school community. Please don’t lose your school library because your administrator thinks no one cares.

Sources

1. 5th ed., Scholastic, Inc., 2015, Kids & Family Reading Report. http://www.scholastic.com/readingreport.

2. Lance, K, and L Hofschire. “Something to Shout About: New Research Shows That More Librarians Means Higher Reading Scores.” School Library Journal, vol. 57, no. 9, 2011, pp. 28–33.

3. Lance, K. M., et al. The Illinois School Library Media Association, Canton, IL, 2005, Powerful Libraries Make Powerful Learners.

4. Trilling, Bernie. “From Libraries to Learning Laboratories: The New ABC’s of 21st Century School Libraries.” School Library Monthly, vol. 29, no. 1, 2010, p. 43.

5. Wittman, Paula, and Nancy Fisher-Allen. “Intentionally Creating a Safe Space for All: The School Library as Refuge.” Knowledge Quest, vol. 40, no. 3, 2020, pp. 42–49.