Slow Decline of Staffing in School Libraries (LT130, Teaching Others to Use Technology, KGaines)

 

The Slow Decline of Staff in School Libraries

When you think back to your early days in the library, what do you remember?  Some people might remember cozy storytime on the carpet, while others can recall being shushed by the librarian for being too loud.   However, what most people remember is learning how to use the library, most often by library staff either at the public library or their school library.  With that knowledge, the library opened up with infinite information - whether how to find just the right book, write a school paper, use a computer or the latest technology.  But what happens when library staff is sparse due to funding or other issues - who will teach the children how to access the library?

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, employment of school librarians has decreased by 20% since the 2009-2010 school year (Maughan 38).  In the 2021-2022 school year, over 7 million students did not have a school librarian in their district (Maughan 40).  Students' access to a school library (and staff) can be largely determined by their geographical location, race or socioeconomic status (Maughan 38).  Superintendents cited reasons such as "budget constraints, changes in priorities, enrollment decreases, difficulty in finding candidates, and librarians being deemed obsolete as reasons for their actions", (Maughan 39).  Some administrators cut librarians simply because they perceived the role of librarians/library support staff as "outdated", (Maughan 40).  As an increasing number of students graduate without ever having access to a librarian in their schools, the problem only intensifies - how can see the value of a school librarian when you've never had one? 

In addition, there is an increasing number of charter schools in the United States - growing by 7% in the 2020-2021 school year - and their access to a school library can vary widely.  According to School Libraries Worldwide, only 62.5% of charter schools have a school library (Klein 78).  "While this research shows that teachers and school administrators are generally supportive of their school libraries, it has not ensured universally adequate funding and staffing. The absence of school library support is especially acute in charter schools, where school library programs are not linked to accreditation", (Klein 80).

By contrast, other administrators cited research showing that "students in schools with full time certified librarians score significantly higher on reading and math tests and have a better graduation rate than students without access to fulltime librarians", (Maughan 39).  Studies show that "academic benefits as measured by standardized testing when school libraries were appropriately staffed, funded, and used", (Klein 81).  In addition to the academic benefits, well staffed libraries have been shown to "support student mental health and wellbeing by making the library a safe space, providing bibliotherapy, and promoting mental health resources", (Klein 81). 

"Low-income students use the library to greater benefit than wealthier peers, and well-stocked school libraries with competent teacher librarians help increase student achievement", (Klein 82). While this is an important factor in all school districts, it can be critical for charter schools.  "Charters enroll a higher percentage of students from low-income families than traditional schools, a higher percentage of charters are in urban areas, and charters are more likely than traditional schools to serve school communities that are more than 50% Black or Hispanic", (Klein 82).

While it is clear that libraries - and qualified library staff - are crucial to academic success and student mental well-being, what is not clear is how to keep or even increase library staff in our K-12 schools.  Perhaps tomorrow's school administrators are learning the very skills they need to tackle this problem, taught by the school librarians today?

Works Cited

Klein, Katherine. “What Library?: A Survey of Charter School Leaders About School Library Services.” School Libraries Worldwide, vol. 28, no. 1, 2023, pp. 78–97, https://doi.org/10.29173/slw8680.

Maughan, Shannon. “Stopping the Staffing Slide at School Libraries.” Publishers Weekly, vol. 270, no. 51, 2023, pp. 17-.