A few weeks back I attended a four day training hosted by a neighboring district. Now, there were the usual concerns associated with a near week long training...Which room would we be crammed into? Would there be adult size chairs? Would the presenters realize they were training adults and not children? Might there be water? Or dare I dream for snacks? My concerns were superficial. The real issue ran much deeper than my own personal comfort.
Day 1, I felt successful because I had battled the parking lot and still managed to have five minutes to spare as I approached our meeting space, the library. By morning break on day 2, I began to notice the books on the shelves. The worn banners that read "Fiction" and "Non-Fiction." As we ate lunch, I realized that our meeting space, the library, had been void of any students. Absent of the eager reader who knows the library is closed, but just has to check-out a new book. Missing of the reluctant reader who has a special bond with the librarian. A space filled with books with zero student activity. A space that eerily felt as though there was a story to be told about what once existed.
Day 3, I finally asked the question, "Umm, what have the students and the librarian been doing since we've overtaken their space for the last few days?" Individuals from the hosting district seemed not to hear my question. My colleague whispered to me "Librarians were cut four years ago. Teachers bring their kids to check out books when time permits." As my heart sank, I simultaneously felt ridiculous for not putting two and two together. The ironic part is that the school that hosted our training is "the school" in the district. Oh, and did I mention it is also an "A" school? How can parents choose to send their students to a school that is void of a library? How can you get the highest grade and not have a library?
Now, not too long ago, in a far away land, I too lived in a school without a librarian, and a vacant library. Fast forward, two years and that reality has almost been erased from my memory. Fortunately, at our "A" school, we have a librarian that embodies the spirit, conviction and craftsmanship of an educator devoted to the love of reading. The students in my school reap the benefits of the world of reading at the top of the stairs, led by their librarian who not only knows every student's name, but which book speaks to their reading passion.
I realize that some people in the four day training never thought twice about the room they were in, and what use to exist. I am thankful that my last few years have reminded me that there are certain things in education that should never be on the chopping block. I suppose my greatest worry is for those individuals who can't remember the days of a librarian and their library. Seems to me that we might be taking a chance to lose even more. Today a vacant library, tomorrow a vacant...
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Thank you for talking about the elephant in the room and doing so eloquently.
I agree that some things should be sacred, like libraries and librarians. But what about time? The sad implication of your experience is that the teachers had precious little time to guide students in their book selection. Why? What could be more important in a school than engaging a kid's imagination? The teachers would probably relish the opportunity, but are so pressed with requirements and a lock-step curriculum that time for the library gets axed!
Time, a most precious commodity of our profession, supports rich learning opportunities as well as collaboration, planning, smart goals, and common assessments. Yet, many, many districts provide very little for any of these.
Of course, this is only speculation, but it's born of experience.
That is a sad state of affairs. I am privileged to work in a district and school with vibrant library's and librarians. The librarian at my school is quite similar to the one you describe. He welcomes the students before school, at lunch and after school. He knows their names and can talk about most any book in the library. He is a true educator and the thought of losing him would be tragic. I so agree that it takes more than test score to determine a true A school. Our students deserve all resources available to them, and that includes an open library with a librarian ready to help.
This is at an "A" school; just imagine the same situation at at a "C" school, where most likely the school library is the one place where students have access to books.
The neediest students already lack access to books at home and from the public library, and now the school library. How do we expect to build a community of literate citizens when they don't even have access to good books? or someone to dialogue with about those books?
I don't have much time to respond here, but my heart is aching alongside you for that sad state of affairs.
And I think one very practical aspect of this that the public may not understand is that without professional librarians, books disappear. Literally. I learned that when the librarians were cut from so many schools here in Tucson a few years back, literally THOUSANDS of books disappeared off the shelves. Some, apparently, were taken by parent volunteers who came with an agenda to remove certain types of books from the shelves. One function librarians have is to ensure that a broad range of ideas and perspectives are represented in our school libraries. Without them, the library is vulnerable to becoming the pet project of someone with a much more narrow agenda. Librarians are activists against censorship.
Some books were just lost due to the lost culture and accountability of a functioning library system.
Grief. Grief. Grief.
This Summer Chris talked about how easy it is to take money from Education because the effects are not seen immediately. It is sad to think that our students are loosing the love of books.
Today a vacant library, tomorrow a vacant imagination and thirst for learning. So sad. Thanks for sharing.
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