Letters

Oklahoma cuts education budget; a school librarian feels the pain

I just read your article online about staffing full time librarians in various states (June 2002, "Filling the Void " by Nancy Everhart). Our state is currently going through some really hard times. All schools in Oklahoma have lost funding this year, and one way to try and compensate is by using the school librarians as substitute teachers! They are also putting a hiring freeze on all teachers and personnel. Because I have been a classroom teacher for 28 years (I am almost finished with my MLS degree), I am actually being punished for my knowledge. No one will hire me for a library position because of the current budget shortage—they can't afford to pay an experienced teacher librarian.

I thought you would be interested in seeing how bad things are in our state, not only for librarians, but education in general. Everyone hears about the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind program but I wonder what Mr. Bush would say if he could see the way the schools in our state are cutting every single program. In my school alone, we have culled the band instructor, school nurse, and high school counselor.

P.S.: If anyone knows of a position open next year for a librarian who has lots of experience with middle through high school kids, let me know!
--Jean McClure High school librarian Oklahoma Union Public Schools South Coffeyville, OK

In the article "School District Puts Pepsi Ahead of Books " (December 2002, News, p. 20), the author gripes that Joy elementary school turned down books from the Coca-Cola company because they had a contract with Pepsi for their school's vending machines… Well, what difference does it make which side of the corporate cola wars the schools side with? Corporations don't give anything away with "no strings attached." The mere fact that their name is mentioned along with the "gift" is pure advertising. Corporations aren't in the business of altruism, nor education. There are always strings attached whenever a corporation gives a gift of anything. If there weren't, they would give anonymously.

As a matter of fact, this little piece of philanthropy smacks of very clever PR on the part of Coca-Cola. Corporations dole out gifts and support in places where it will benefit their reputation and their appearance to the general public. What better way to garner product loyalty than to do something as wholesome as dish out books to a school library?

Never be fooled into thinking that a corporation has any interest in mind but their own bottom line. This is dangerous ground to tread.
--Alice DuBois Assistant Young Adult Department Poplar Creek Public Library Streamwood, IL

I have just read the cover article in your November 2002 issue ("Making Research Count ," pp. 48–51) and thought that this story relating to Joyce Valenza's efforts in her school in Pennsylvania was very thought-provoking. But then I had a question.

A lot of the programs that you cover are successful and are worth writing about. But my school is one where we are making strides toward improving our students' education, but one in which the state has implemented programs in order to improve our test scores.

The rub for me comes in the form of compatibility. Ours is an elementary school with a fixed schedule. Therefore, we would not be able to implement the program you have suggested.

Since I began in this field three years ago, it has been preached and subsequently ingrained in my head that every school is different, that programs that are implemented and successful at one school might not be so at another.

These articles on successful programs are just rubbing our collective noses in ideas and programs that will not succeed for a number of reasons. If you are going to include an article such as this, you should at least provide contact information for the pertinent people involved, as well as extend the article to address how to implement such a program in a different school and environment.

It would behoove everyone in education to work together to improve those programs that aren't doing well. Why do we always lift up and praise those people and programs that are doing well and never address the issues and provide help and insight for those programs that are struggling?
--Matt Correll Library Media Specialist Columbia Elementary School Decatur, GA

I just finished reading your editorial masquerading as a news article in the December 2002 issue ("Election Fallout: Leaner Libraries?," pp. 16–17). In the years that Hill and Bill were in the White House, I did not receive any direct funding from the federal government. I do not recall any push by Senator Daschle for increased library funding, but that is not bad either. Why should it be the job of the federal government to fund school libraries and not the responsibility of the local governmental body? Why was President Bush's picture on the page? It appears to be an attempt to negatively color his positive attitude toward libraries. That is not only unfair, it is inaccurate and uncalled for. The federal government was originally not intended to be a cradle-to-grave caretaker. The whining and spin that you put in your editorial, excuse me, article, makes all of us librarians look like a bunch of sniveling little kids, and that I resent.
--Clete Schirra Media Specialist/Network Administrator, South Park High School Media Center South Park High School South Park, PA

Notwithstanding SLJ's negative review of my novel, The Raging Dragon , Book 2 of the "Will to Conquer" trilogy (SeaScape, 2002; Oct., p. 168), I am confident it will be a valuable addition to Young Adult collections. Therefore, I deeply appreciate having this opportunity to respond.

In brief, Willi and Louise, the French teenaged heroes of The Crouching Dragon, are now students in Paris. They join Clandestin, second generation of the French Resistance, and battle the mysterious DragonSlayers, who threaten presidents Charles de Gaulle and John Kennedy during the Algerian Civil War—a powerful parallel to the U.S. civil rights struggle.

I place my young heroes in historically and geographically accurate situations, and they respond, not with magic or sorcery, but with remarkable imagination and real-world skills. One reviewer called Willi "A very young James Bond without the attitude," and said, "Louise matches him step for step, but has the grace to look elegant in a gown Jacqueline Kennedy loans her for an evening at Versailles." Another reviewer commented that "Lamensdorf...has brilliantly mastered the subtle yet appealing way of teaching real history as a backdrop to [his heroes] escapades."

We vetted the book with many kids (no relatives or friends) from age nine into the teens. They all loved it, especially the mixture of fantasy and history. And while I'm giving kids strong, positive heroes, I'm also teaching many lessons—a touch of Judo, a bit of flying, a lot of history and more–while providing a useful guide to Paris, including full-color maps. The story is also multicultural and multigenerational. Thus, the educational value of the book is extraordinary; teachers and librarians can foster a broad range of values and impart a lot of information through the medium of an exciting adventure story.

The series also interconnects with our Web site, www.seascapepress.com, which provides further resources, including a bibliography of books I used in research, plus online games based on the series. For teachers and librarians desiring a free copy for their own independent evaluation, please e-mail seapress@aol.com.
--Len Lamensdorf Santa Barbara, CA

I was very disappointed to read such a negative review of Randall Bush's Gabriel's Magic Ornament (Pristine, 2002, Oct., p. 57). As a media specialist (MLS), I feel the criticism was harsh and unworthy of the book. Comments such as: "…the Christian symbolism is too obvious…" makes one wonder what she is looking for in a Christmas story. Her final comment that "…the adventures of the children too contrived to keep readers' interest" is completely false. Dr. Bush visited with 88 fifth grade students at our school just after this book came out. As part of the presentation, he read excerpts from the book, and when he stopped, they eagerly clamored for more! Many of these children came back to me several days later to say how much they enjoyed the book. As professionals in this field, I believe it is our job to encourage new writers. This book is a delightful holiday chapter book with several layers for readers of all ages.
--Deborah Jesseman Media Specialist The University School of Jackson Henderson, TN

Due to an editorial error, the review of Cindy McKinley's One Smile (Illumination Arts, 2002; Jan. 2003, p. 106) mistakenly refers to the main character by the wrong name. Her name is Katie, not Lisa.