Amendment to Eliminate the Requirement for School Librarian

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very bad. Not only are public schools not assigning many classics anymore, but if they get rid of librarians too, then a whole fount of literary knowledge goes out of the school system. I understand that a lot of kids don't know whether their media center is, and don't read, but I refuse to accept that schools cannot have libraries with librarians in them, to get at least some kids into reading, and not only that, but to give context to what they're reading.

I grew up with school librarians and school libraries and even though I loved to read and checked books out, I don't remember the librarians ever "giving context" for what I was reading. In fact, I hardly ever saw them talking to kids. Just managing books and checkouts.

If I could only save one, the library to save is the public municipal library, which is much better placed to adapt to changing times. And I think in-school library media center rooms are redundant with them in many cases. It's my impression in my town that foot traffic is dropping at my public library even though funding has remained strong.

I do believe that English teachers can quickly help students to figure out how to find books of interest for free reading. And I've purchased hundreds of book-sale books and donated them to elementary classroom teachers as well. To build in-class libraries for young children. The once a week trip to the media center is far less helpful than what goes on in the main classrooms.

Teaching kids to get library cards for their municipal libraries and to use them to check out digital books might actually be more habit-forming in the long run.

+1

[Anonymous]

I'm a "media" specialist, and media encompasses a lot, including everything I just listed 😀 And if you look at what public libraries also have to offer it's not just books. I just noticed ours is now lending out video games and another nearby is giving away seed packets for gardening purposes. Even further away you have some providing 3d printing services. You ask for librarians to adapt to the changing times but then complain when we do? Which is it?

[Anonymous]

All MCPS parents do is complain about the lack of education their kids are getting, 180 days, and other utter nonsense, then come here and say librarians aren't necessary.

You are not serious people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All MCPS parents do is complain about the lack of education their kids are getting, 180 days, and other utter nonsense, then come here and say librarians aren't necessary.

You are not serious people.

It really does begin in the classrooms with the most contact time with the students. When reading and math aren't under control, very little else matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a "media" specialist, and media encompasses a lot, including everything I just listed 😀 And if you look at what public libraries also have to offer it's not just books. I just noticed ours is now lending out video games and another nearby is giving away seed packets for gardening purposes. Even further away you have some providing 3d printing services. You ask for librarians to adapt to the changing times but then complain when we do? Which is it?

I am watching this trend try to take off. My public library is trying some of these tactics. Not sure how it's going but they do have their object lending library up front so people will notice it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an MCPS elementary media specialist, too, but I generally have more time, energy, and patience to tackle teaching objectives, collection development, and enrichment activities, both before and after school. However, there is a wide range of experiences to be had, with over two hundred schools. I do think that a lot more could be done to educate the public (and sometime staff) exactly what we do, as it is certainly more than just read-alouds, book shelving, etc etc etc. In a lot of locations media specialists (and their assistants) help run stage musicals, morning broadcasts, talent shows, STEM activities, coding sessions, and that is just scratching the surface. (It also ignores the fact that we often act as school technology support, which is a half-time job all by itself.)

If you’re doing all of these other tasks, then maybe there really isn’t the need for a media specialist/librarian role. It seems there is a need for tech support, communications, and STEAM activities.

They are MEDIA specialists. Most things listed above fall under the term “media.” Clearly there is a need for this position within schools.

I’m an English teacher. I am beyond grateful for our librarian, who teaches database research to my classes. She also runs our daily TV news show, runs the book club, creates lit circle activities for teachers in my department, and serves as a resource for all the novels we teach. She creates lessons that provide context. I can’t imagine how much harder my role would be without her.

Remove her, and it WILL impact students.

[Anonymous]

I'm shocked there are people who don't think a school library is a good idea. There is no way schools are going to be able to take kids to the public library. Even if MCPS didn't charge for the buses, there simply aren't enough buses to manage it all. Teachers also don't want to do field trips anymore. The school library is the only place that kids see books now. Most classroom material--even in English/LA--is excerpts and photocopied material (or online).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a parent I don’t understand the need. Each teacher has a full library and then they also go to library? I’ve not been happy with the books my kids get either. They’re not engaging or popular books, the only reason they were chosen was they are diverse. (Which is crazy to me because there’s so many good diverse authors and these were the ones they chose?)

I too think kids should be encouraged to go to the public library. And maybe fund those better.

Are you talking about the books your children choose to check out on their library day in elementary? The students choose their own books, that's a big part of the fun. If you don't like what your kids are choosing for themselves, that sounds like a you problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm shocked there are people who don't think a school library is a good idea. There is no way schools are going to be able to take kids to the public library. Even if MCPS didn't charge for the buses, there simply aren't enough buses to manage it all. Teachers also don't want to do field trips anymore. The school library is the only place that kids see books now. Most classroom material--even in English/LA--is excerpts and photocopied material (or online).

Wow. My oldest is in 5th grade and this is literally true. Sad to think that without the library, school would barely involve a book.

[Anonymous]

Let's keep this in perspective. The proposed change is not to remove libraries from schools. It is to remove the state requirement that every school in Maryland have its own full-time certified media specialist. I can certainly see how some smaller schools or districts around the state could function with a different staffing model.

--a librarian

[Anonymous]

A librarian here, who belongs to a national media facebook group, where it has been discussed at great lengths what happens to districts where certified librarians are no longer required: it simply gets worse and at some point they just assign part-time paraeducators or parent volunteers and in some extreme cases the library is entirely shut down. They tend to never recover.

That is not perspective. That is historical and current changes happening to other school districts and in places where test scores plummeted as a result. There are short- and long-term consequences.