New Study Targets CA Libraries' Concerns

Staffing and access to library resources are the top two concerns of California's school libraries, according to a new survey by SBC Pacific Bell's Knowledge Network. The study, "California School Library Media Centers and Student Achievement," also says that libraries are being looked at differently in this new era of high-stakes testing, in which information literacy skills are essential.

Jackie Siminitus, one of the study's researchers, interviewed curriculum leaders from the state's 25 largest school districts. Those interviewed said that "school districts today are driven by high-stakes testing—and nothing else comes close to that." Interviewees also indicated that the pressure to achieve higher test scores has placed more importance on equitable access to both print and online library resources.

California's school libraries have never completely recovered from the 1978 passage of Proposition 13, a property tax initiative which decreased school and library funding. The researchers discovered that students in schools without librarians "lack key academic elements, information literacy instruction, teacher collaboration, and a curriculum-based collection." High schools in the state's largest districts have 2,000 to 4,000 students, but only one librarian.

Siminitus also asked the curriculum leaders to identify the top technology issue in their school districts. Mentioned most often was the quality of network service. "The leaders want all technology working at all times," she says. "Teachers and librarians shouldn't have to think about whether their printer's going to work." The respondents frequently mentioned how often the school network and the Internet weren't accessible to teachers and students. The second most often cited concern was the need for more technology-oriented professional development. "One curriculum leader," the report says, "indicated that it takes about three years for a teacher to learn and embrace a new technology program and fully integrate it into a course curriculum."

Siminitus hopes that educators will remind the public and politicians about the plight of California's school libraries. "I'd like for [the report] to be a wake-up call for those who should be supporting school libraries," she says. She also hopes that a state politician or celebrity will one day spread the word to the public about the importance of well-staffed libraries to student achievement. A copy of the study may be viewed at www.kn.pacbell.com/survey/k12libraries.pdf.