An opinion article in the New York Times discussed the growing trend of laying off librarians. The article specifically mentions public libraries being the target, but does extend the lay-offs to public schools. The author makes a fantastic point about librarians (and I would even say other resource teachers) constantly being viewed as less important because they are not directly involved with high stakes testing. No Child Left Behind does not mandate a library test, therefore it must not be important. As she puts it: "belt-tightening will often involve eliminating what can't be counted or assessed." Also, as technology consumes the way we access information, some people are calling to question whether or not someone such as a librarian needs to be paid to teach students how to find a historical fiction book with an author whose last name starts with a "K".
Well, I just wanted to put some love out their for our public school librarians. The impact that they have on students is rarely seen or mentioned, yet the work they do is incredibly important. Did I teach my students how to use a dictionary this year? Nope, my librarian did. The first assignment I gave the students this past year resulted in just about every single student plagiarizing from Wikipedia. Who helped me work with the students? You guessed it, our librarian.
I know it only takes two seconds to Google search and find the answer to just about any question you've ever had, but that's not academic. When will students learn how to cite sources? Or even find sources? Producing "college ready" students cannot take place without school librarians; it's as simple as that. Librarians are a vital asset to any school, and the fact that they are viewed by some as expendable is atrocious.
1 comment:
I had a similar reaction when I saw this article in the Times. My school is fortunate to have a library that opened just this year with a fantastic librarian. Not only did students have greater access to books and research materials, but our librarian was a great resource for teachers. She co-planned research units with many of our teachers (including me) and provided lessons and materials for a variety of different content-area classes.
Although the internet makes research much faster, it doesn't necessarily make it easier or improve its quality. Students need to learn how to cite sources, locate information from a variety of print and online resources, and find "just right" books to read for school or for pleasure.
Library skills may not be explicitly tested on MSA multiple choice questions, but students aspiring to succeed in college must know how to research, locate information, and cite sources. Although content-area teachers can incorporate these mini-lessons into their curriculum, students need to learn how to use a library (even if it's an online library!). Additionally, the common core standards seem to place a high importance on analyzing primary sources, which is often taught in the library setting. In this case, library-related skills can very concretely bolster test scores.
In a time when technology, information-sharing, research, writing, and academic integrity remain crucial skills for success in the work place and the literacy gap continues to impede student growth, libraries and librarians should not be taken for granted.
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