Libraries and Student Success

                     VS.               

It makes sense that if you have a staffed, functioning school library, that the students would be better readers and writers.  Right?  Then why is it, that the library is one of the first things hit when it comes to budget cuts? 

The materials budget is usually hit first.  Some libraries go years (YEARS!) without new and current material.  How can we expect our students to progress when the library’s material is stagnant?

Then the staff is cut.  Then the number of hours the library is open.  Some libraries are only open during the school day and sometimes only a few days a week or every other week. 

Let’s imagine that the school library is open before and after school,  there is a current and relevant collection, and a certified librarian running the show………..whoa.  I do believe we would have student success my friends.  Students that enjoy reading for pleasure, students that can find a book relevant to their research paper, students that can access the library before and after school to work on projects or even homework. 

Whoa, indeed.

There has been much research on the topic of school librarians and how effective they are.  In a recent article, “Why School Librarians Matter: What Years of Research Tell Us”, written by Keith Lance and Debra Kachel (2018) talks about the research from the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) and National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). 

This research encompasses data from 26 different states and from students with different ethnic backgrounds and economic levels over the course of 26 years.  Statistics showed that scores improved in reading and writing across the board when a certified librarian was involved. 

“What may be more surprising is that, in a 2015 Washington state study, the presence of a certified school librarian was also a predictor of higher elementary and middle school math scores.”  I don’t find that so surprising. 

I wish the school boards would do more research before deciding where budget cuts should come from.  It seems like the bottom line should be what’s best for the students instead of what’s best for the budget. 

-Beth Prout

Works Cited

Lance, Keith Curry and Debra E. Kachel. "Why School Librarians Matter: What Years of Research Tell Us." Phi Delta Kappan, vol. 99, no. 7, Apr. 2018, pp. 15-20. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/0031721718767854.