Check It Out

 Yesterday was a terrible day for me. More bad news about budget: library budget cut in half and then to find out that on top of all the state cuts to teacher’s salaries, the bonus for being a national board certified teacher may be on the chopping block.  I am working on this article to submit to the local paper to raise awareness about the library program:

Shh! Quiet! As The District Cuts the Heart of the School Out: The Library Program

This is my thirty-fifth year of teaching. For years, I have listened to friends and colleagues discussing the budget woes in the neighboring state to the south. Perhaps I was a bit smug to think budget woes would not be in my vocabulary. I was wrong.
My district declares that all students should be able to be “world competitive upon graduation.” Yet, during this economic crisis, the district wants to cut back on the library media program. Research has shown libraries to be integral programs for students to become world competitive.
However, this district is about to cut the heart out of the school, the library program, by making cuts in the number hours support staff works and by slashing funding for books, programs and materials.
It’s a quiet proposal, not one that many patrons would think about until the impact of the cuts realized. It undermines two of the four pillars of a great library media program: staffing, budget, facilities, and student learning goals.
On paper, it might make sense. The library media program looks healthy and strong. Every school building has a minimum of one fulltime certified library media specialist and a fulltime library assistant. Cutting assistant time in half saves a potential six hundred thousand dollars for the district.
Any cut means cuts to kids. Currently, the elementary library media specialist provides a thirty-minute planning time for each classroom teacher. At middle and high school level, classes sign-up to work on research projects, get questions answered and find resources for assignments. It is possible for over 150 students to visit the library on a daily basis.
While classes are in session, other students use the library for book check out, research, a place to go for recess, and a quiet place to read. Staff members come to the library to get resources for upcoming units of study. The assistant locates and checks out the books for them. If classroom audio visual or computer equipment fails, either the assistant or the library media specialist leaves the library to troubleshoot. Reduction in staff means staff and students will have to wait.
Today, the services offered in the library have grown with technology demands. Technology has both simplified and complicated teaching in the library. Students are required to be productive users of technology, as well as academic users of technology. This requires that the library media specialist collaborate closely with staff to engage students in thinking strategies for the 21st century. The ability to do this will be extremely limited if the library media specialist must take on the duties of library materials processing and data entry, jobs of the library assistant.
Currently, the library budget is an average of $11.50 per student for books, programs, and materials. The average cost of library books is $20.00 per book. The district is preparing to reduce the budget by half. The library media program supports the core curriculum: literacy, math, science, and social studies. Will I be forced to rely on book fair sales to raise money for library books? Selection of materials to support the core needs is part of my training as a library media specialist.
I wonder how I will support the needs of staff and students when the budget cut in half. The average age of my collection is twenty years old How will I ensure that the collection does not fall behind any further in currency? Teachers used the titles in the collection more than ever as mentor texts for students.
In addition, district administration wants every child to have the opportunity to check out book whether their book is overdue or they have a book fines. As of last fall, approximately $38,000 dollars in outstanding school fines owed to the district. I admit there are some circumstances in which the child should not be held hostage because the library book is missing. Where is the fiscal responsibility in allowing students to have books when they have unpaid fines?
My district needs to consider options that will save money in ways aside from reducing important services to students and staff every day. Options could include being very selective with information databases, limiting assistant hours to student attendance days and hours, and developing a plan to curtail the rising dollars in lost or overdue materials.
Study after study has shown a clear correlation to student achievement and fully funded library programs, which includes a full-time staff assistant. The district, known for its strong library program, is dangerously coming close to stepping backward. Why take a step backward? How disheartening to hear about potential cuts to the program because of its strengths. Let’s continue to strive to be world-competitive upon graduation and keep the heart of the school in place. A fully funded library media program enables students to compete in a 21st century world.

Kepp reading. Keep using the library.

MsMac