School Library Study Unveiled

Useful guide provides librarians with detailed statistics

By Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 5/1/2004

Do you need to identify the state with the smallest number of school libraries or paid certified media specialists? A new study by the Department of Education (DOE) has the answer to those questions and more.

While the "Status of Public and Private School Library Media Centers in the United States: 1999–2000" offers little historical analysis, it's an extremely useful reference guide to help benchmark everything from collections and expenditures to staffing levels, says Julie Walker of the American Association of School Librarians.

For instance, did you know that only 23.7 percent of K–12 schools in California have paid state-certified library media specialists, the lowest ranking among all 50 states? Meanwhile, only 73.4 percent of South Dakota's schools have libraries, compared to 100 percent in Hawaii and 97.8 percent in Alabama. The study also offers interesting comparisons between public and private schools: for instance, 92 percent of public schools have school libraries, compared to only 63 percent of private schools. The study, which surveyed more than 10,000 public and private media specialists, took four years to complete and therefore doesn't include figures on recent budget cuts.

A historical report dating back to 1987 is expected later this year. For a copy of the report, visit www.nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2004313