School Libraries
Last year this article noted that three studies were under way at the Colorado State Library's Library Research Service focusing on the relationship between a strong library media program in a school and the school's level of achievement on standardized tests. At that time, only the Alaska study had been completed but the other two were finished in 2000. "Measuring Up to Standards: The Impact of School Library Programs & Information Literacy in Pennsylvania Schools" demonstrated such a strong, positive relationship between school libraries and student achievement that it led to a sizeable increase in state funding for school libraries in Pennsylvania. "How School Librarians Help Kids Achieve Standards: The Second Colorado Study" repeated the famous 1993 Colorado study but focused on the role of the school librarian and found that test scores rise in both elementary and middle schools as library media specialists and teachers work together. In addition, scores also increase with the amount of time library media specialists spend as in-service trainers of other teachers, acquainting them with the rapidly changing world of information. For more information about all three studies, see http://www.lrs.org/.