A Federal Fumble: Nixing school library funds hurts those most in need.

Every March this page is devoted to helping school librarians prepare for next year's budget with the publication of our annual “Average Book Prices,” so the topic of my editorial usually turns to money. This March is no different—although the message is a whole lot more urgent, as the federal government is pulling the rug out from under America's neediest school libraries.

President Obama's FY 2011 budget proposal, while increasing funds for education, completely eliminates the $19 million Improving Literacy Through School Libraries grant program, which was created in 2001 to boost reading achievement by providing students with increased access to up-to-date library materials; well-equipped, technologically advanced media centers; and professionally certified school librarians.

Instead, it's being consolidated into another program along with Striving Readers, Even Start, the National Writing Project, Reading Is Fundamental, and Ready-to-Learn Television. This means that there are no longer funds in the federal budget earmarked for school libraries; and now, school libraries will have to compete with five other programs for a piece of the pie.

Improving Literacy isn't one of those programs that just doles out a bunch of pork-barrel grants that don't deliver. It provides the poorest, often rural, schools—with at least 20 percent of their students coming from families who live below the poverty line—with badly needed funds for everything from library books and extended hours to technology and digital content.

But don't take my word for it. Take a look at the programs that were funded through Improving Literacy Through School Libraries in 2009 (www2.ed.gov/programs/lsl/abstract2009.doc). These funds are making a real difference.

If there was any doubt about the grants' impact, in January 2009, the Department of Education released the “Second Evaluation of the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program,” a study that indicated that students attending schools that participated in this program were scoring higher on state reading tests than their peers in nonparticipating schools. The report also said that at the schools participating in the program during 2003–2004, more students met or exceeded proficiency requirements on state reading assessments.

Whether you're in a school or public library, it's time to reach out to your community members: parents, teachers, and leaders. Have them contact their elected officials to tell them that school libraries are fundamental to learning and that the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries grant program needs to be restored and fully funded.

After all, without school libraries, where will our politicians have their photographs taken?