New Mexico needs school librarians
The scene described in the opening of Robert Nott’s March article (“Librarians fear schools are turning the page on them,” March 5, in The New Mexican) seems to beautifully capture a moment of New Mexico enchantment: The young students of Gonzalez Community School earnestly engaged in both group learning and self-directed inquiry.
A closer look, however, reveals that it is not enchantment after all, but the skillful and deliberate coordination of the school’s librarian, who integrates literacy into all instruction; collaborates with other teachers to reinforce all content areas; and facilitates exploration, hands-on learning and independent discovery. That work provides a critical foundation for student learning, and it develops capable and ethical navigators of our complex information landscape who are engaged and adaptable lifelong learners.
Every student deserves that foundation and every student deserves an education that includes access to the critical resource that makes it happen: the school librarian.
Nott’s article raises important questions for every New Mexican: Does my local school have a professionally staffed library that will provide children in my community with that foundation? If we are living in an information age and school librarians are the credentialed information professionals in schools, shouldn’t it?
We commend the administrator who acknowledged the added value that a school librarian brings to student achievement and the overall learning community. We also applaud state Sen. Bill Soules, D-Las Cruces, for recognizing the need to gather data on school libraries across New Mexico so that lawmakers, educators, parents and community members have the information they need to make informed decisions about their schools.
We, too, believe that data should inform decision making around educational programming. As presidents of the American Library Association and American Association of School Librarians, we have reviewed years of research and we have seen what works firsthand. Consider a 2012 Pew Research Center study, in which 83 percent of teachers responded that students are overwhelmed by the amount of information available online and 60 percent stated that the increasing array of technologies makes it more difficult to locate credible information. That second finding was echoed in a recent Stanford University study that found more than 80 percent of middle school students struggle to distinguish credible news from sponsored content online.
Yet there is also good news. More than 60 studies from across the country show that student achievement is higher — from grades to reading scores to graduation rates — in schools with a professionally staffed library, and these outcomes extend across demographic categories. More recently, researchers in South Carolina found that students with certified school librarians score higher on state reading and writing assessments. Yet another study in Washington state determined that students with professionally staffed libraries had increased access to technology tools, online resources and digital literacy instruction. Clearly, certified school librarians yield a positive return on investment.
High-quality schools are essential not just to New Mexico’s children; they are fundamental to the state’s aspirations for strong communities, healthy residents, economic development and job growth. School librarians are the heart of those high quality schools. While enchantment may not be part of their toolbox, what they bring to students across New Mexico is just as integral to its future: the professional skills to prepare children to engage, inquire, and create — capably and ethically—as members of their families, communities, and state.
We call on legislators to revisit Sen. Soules’ Senate Memorial 39 during their next session. And, even as the school year comes to an end, we encourage all New Mexicans to let their elected officials and school administrators know that school librarians are an investment that all students deserve.