IN Students Suffer from School Library Cuts

Survey outlines the effect of state budget cuts on library collections, student achievement

By Alex Sinclair -- School Library Journal, 12/1/2004

Despite all the evidence showing a link between strong library media programs and student achievement, Indiana has systematically cut school library funding over the years to the detriment of its one million students, according to a study by the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy (CEEP) at Indiana University in Bloomington. As a result, libraries in K–12 schools across the state are struggling to provide the necessary books and services to meet the more rigorous literacy and academic goals imposed under the No Child Left Behind Act.

The situation is so dire that book purchases per student have decreased an average of 13.7 percent since 2001. And librarians say they're compromising services—such as buying paperbacks rather than hardcover books, dropping periodicals, and forgoing some literacy initiatives at the cost of others—just to maintain essential book purchases. The problem started in 2001, when state funding for school libraries was completely eliminated due to severe budget cuts. Prior to that, Indiana's school libraries received $13 million in state funding over a five-year period under a program called the School Library Printed Materials Grant.

Media specialists now complain that the average number of books purchased aren't meeting circulation needs, and many schools are relying on funds earned from book fairs, candy sales, and federal grants. But budget cuts aren't the only problem. Many media specialists statewide have also lost their jobs, especially in elementary schools, says Kathy Loser, a media specialist at Bloomington High School North.

Unfortunately, the state still has a $1 billion shortfall, "so there's absolutely no chance that funding will be reinstated for at least another two years," says Jonathan Plucker, CEEP's executive director.