You can read trouble into the lack of libraries

There was a lot of disturbing news in the papers last week, but it was a little local story in the Herald that got under my skin.

Education reporter Kathleen McKiernan reported 73 of 126 public schools in Boston do not have a library. And even many of those that do lack a full-time librarian or enough books.

Do we need school libraries in the age of tablets, Kindles, smartphones? You bet we do. While you can read most books on a tablet, not every family or school has access to this technology — certainly not in Boston, where 78 percent of students come from low-income homes.

And reading an actual book can lead to better comprehension of the subject, Dana Brigham, manager and co-owner of Brookline Booksmith, told me.

“The temptation is always great to click onto a game or something else on another open window,” said Brigham, who is so committed to getting books into the hands of students that she offers teachers an 8 percent discount on books.

It’s not just the lack of access to books that presents an obstacle for students. Not having a certified school librarian is just as damaging.

“The role of a certified school librarian is to lead students to be more creative and collaborative, as well as being better at problemsolving,” Kathy Lowe, executive director of the Massachusetts School Library Association, told me.

Librarians don’t only check out books and issue fines for overdue books.

A certified school librarian has a master’s degree and is trained to aid not just students but other teachers as well.

The conundrum is that the federal and state governments have been hesitant to get involved.

At the federal level, ESSA — The Every Student Succeeds Act — includes language for “effective school library programs.” But there are no funds mandated to support such programs.

Massachusetts has essentially punted on this issue, leaving it to cities and towns to solve the problem.

Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to John Wyche in 1809, wrote, “I have often thought that nothing would do more extensive good at a small expense than the establishment of a small circulating library.”

Those words ring true today, too.