School Library Day

It’s Monday and that means that today is library day for my Kindergarten Kiddo and her classmates.  We are fortunate to belong to a neighborhood public school that has not only a library, but also a librarian, albeit on a part-time basis only. 

You may be thinking, what can the school library offer that the public library can’t?  Two things come to mind: access, and a peer group.  In a recent research report Is the LibraryImportant? Multivariate Studies at the National and International Level, renowned educational researcher Stephen Krashen summarizes, “It has been firmly established that more access to books results in more reading and more reading leads to better literacy development… [i]t is thus reasonable to hypothesize that more access [to books] means better reading.”  Krashen goes on to point out the positive link shown in studies between the quality of libraries and reading achievement.  I’ll talk a lot more about this kind of research in future posts, but let me say here that I believe that a school library staffed by a knowledgeable school librarian is critical in raising a reader.

A typical Kindergarten class library visit goes something like this: the children file in and sit criss-cross-applesauce on the carpet and listen in rapt attention while our school librarian reads from a picture book she’s thoughtfully chosen for its quality illustrations, compelling storyline, and its general appeal to the Kindergarten crowd.

Next, the Kiddos enjoy the delicious freedom of exploring on their own or with a friend; some choosing books right away, others lingering among the shelves, still others lining up at the circulation desk with requests for favorites that haven’t been re-shelved yet (the Fly Guy series has been particularly popular this year). 

After they’ve poked and prodded their way through their library filled with shelves that are all just the right height – with no books out of reach, they clump together in small groups or pairs and share what they’ve found.  Some of the children read their books out loud to themselves or a neighbor; others tell stories based on the pictures in their books.  Some thumb through their selections quietly. 

The point is: this is a lively social activity shared among friends.   

So, why this long, detailed post about the school library?  Well, because – like many of you out there – springtime is auction time at our school.  Monies raised at our auction are used to pay for headcount – specifically for our librarian (and our educational aides, our music teacher, physical education teacher, technology teacher and school counselor).  Only this year, there’s a twist: we have to choose which headcount it will pay for.  Our school’s principal (on behalf of the site council) sent out a survey to all parents asking us to rank, in order of importance, where the money raised from auction should go to.  In other words, do we keep the librarian?  If so, whom do we do without?  Our schools have been through a lot of lean years and we have gone way beyond the sloughing of the chaff: we are now hacking away at the wheat.  Part of me can’t even believe we’re having this discussion.  The other part of me realizes that we are among the fortunate few that have been able to stave off this discussion until now.  But now that we’re here, I don’t like it one bit.  What about you?   What do you think?