School libraries

School library media programs hold their own in difficult times

In tough economic times, the status quo becomes an acceptable outcome—for now.     

Data from 2008 concerning school library media programs revealed little significant change in their status from the prior year. The good news: about half continued to be staffed full time by a school library media specialist. The not-so-good news: the specialist found little time for professional activities outside the center itself.

And sometimes, the news was downright bad. In April 2008, the Mesa, Arizona, public school system—the state’s largest, with 74,000 students—decided to remove all teacher-librarians from 87 schools over three years, mainly because of a deficit of more than $20 million caused by declining enrollment and a state budget deficit of $1.2 billion. (ALA press release, April 21, 2008)

Nationally, half the 6,998 school library media programs (SLMP) that responded to a survey conducted in 2008 have almost one full-time equivalent school library media specialist (SLMS)—37.5 hours per typical week—and total program staff hours reflecting full-time coverage.

These figures, from a survey conducted by the American Association of School Librarians, a division of ALA, suggests that, while a full-time school library media specialist is present about half the time, they typically have only 2½ hours a week of staff support, making that the only time they are free to meet with their principals, attend faculty or committee meetings, deliver in-service professional development opportunities to teachers, or work with teachers and students in their classrooms.

The top quarter of responding school library media programs have a full-time library media specialist—40 hours per typical week—and almost two full-time equivalents of total staff—74 hours per week. The top five percent have more than one full-time specialist—65.2 hours per typical week—and almost three FTEs of total staff—117 hours per typical week. With access to more than one school library media specialist, teachers in these schools are more likely to enjoy the benefits of collaboration with a specialist on the design and delivery of instruction.

Several factors affect the levels of program staffing in participating schools, the survey results indicated. Generally there was more staffing at higher grade levels and in larger schools. Average program staffing was lower in the West than in other regions and highest in the South and Northeast. Programs at schools serving a larger proportion of low-income students average somewhat fewer hours of library media specialist and total library staffing. Programs at schools in the central cities and suburbs of metropolitan areas averaged more hours of school library media specialist and total media program staffing than schools in outlying towns and rural areas (the differences here were small but statistically significant).

Other findings from the report:

• School library media specialists spend the great majority of their time delivering instruction and less time on school library media program budget matters and on planning with teachers
• Half of school library media centers from which a survey response was received are open at least 38 hours per week. The top quarter are open 40 hours per week, and the top five percent for 45 hours.

From “School Libraries Count! . . .”

A new federal law requires schools receiving federal e-rate discounts on telecommunications services and Internet access to educate their students “about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking sites and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response.”

Signed into law Oct. 10, 2008, by President George W. Bush, the Broadband Data Improvement Act establishes an Online Safety and Technology Working Group to evaluate safety education efforts, parental control technologies, and filtering and blocking software, according to American Libraries Online. The Federal Trade Commission is charged with carrying out “a nationwide program to increase public awareness and provide education regarding strategies to promote the safe use of the Internet by children.”

However, Lynne Bradley, director of the American Library Association Office of Government Relations, said the ALA is reacting cautiously to the Broadband Data Improvement Act because the e-rate provision was attached hastily and no funding has been appropriated for the education program.

The legislation effectively supplants the Deleting Online Predators Act, which was introduced in 2006, passed in the House, but stalled in the Senate. DOPA would have required schools and libraries to block access to social networking sites and chat rooms. Many education groups, including the ALA, opposed that bill, arguing that teaching children about safe and appropriate online behavior was a better approach.

Library media expenditures

The budgets of most school library media programs cover expenditures on information resources (e.g., books, audio and video formats, periodical and database subscriptions) and operating costs. Expenditures on salaries, wages, and employee benefits are part of the overall school or district payroll.

Half the responding schools report spending at least $7,000 annually—or $12.06 per student—on their library media programs. The top quarter spend $13,500—or $21.02—and the top five percent, $35,000—or $48.02. The per-student median, $12.06, is only two-thirds of the cost of a single work of fiction ($17.63, according to the March 1, 2008, issue of School Library Journal) and about a third of the cost of a single non-fiction title ($27.04). Even the 95th-percentile expenditure, $48.02, would not quite cover the cost of a second non-fiction volume.

Finally, individual visits to school library media centers increased significantly at the schools that responded to both the 2007 and 2008 surveys: up 22.7 percent for the 50th percentile, up 12.5 percent for the 75th percentile, and up almost 25 percent for the 95th percentile. There were no major year-to-year differences in the responses with regard to the other variables.

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