EveryLibrary: “Where Have All the School Librarians Gone”

Sharing from our friends at EveryLibrary:

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A study noted that in the ten years between the 2008–09 and 2018–19 academic years, the number of librarians declined while the number of students and other faculty members rose.

Today, less than 30% of schools have school librarians.

It’s a well-known, research-backed fact that access to a school librarian is the leading indicator of student achievement. 

Of course, this should mean these libraries receive all the funding they need, right? 

Surprisingly (and unfortunately), this isn’t often the case.

Even more alarming is that many school libraries are not receiving budget increases and are actually receiving budget cuts. 

Many school librarians are being laid off, reduced to part-time hours, or split across multiple campuses. 

The Consequences

Well-funded library programs are strongly associated with better student learning outcomes; therefore, cutting library budgets would logically decrease those outcomes. 

Part of the appeal of libraries is that they allow students to learn on their own terms. While some students dislike school, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t like to learn. 

Many students have trouble motivating themselves to learn what schools say they need to learn. However, if they can learn on their own terms via the library, they’ll naturally pick up those school-required concepts along the way.

DONATE TODAY! to EveryLibrary This is a critical time for school libraries when budgets are being decided. We need your help to reach more Americans who care, right now! Every $10 we raise helps us reach 1,000 more Americans about school libraries.

Cutting library funding removes students’ opportunities to learn in this way, decreasing their drive to learn overall.

If we want the next generation to grow into creatives, thinkers, and leaders, we must nurture their desire to learn

Without access to school libraries, this becomes infinitely more difficult.

EveryLibrary
https://www.everylibrary.org/

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