Libraries Without Librarians?

Waiver Sought by City Puts Fate of School Librarians in Question

By Ivan Pentchoukov, Epoch Times | August 15, 2013

• 

PrevNext

<

>

People descend the stairs of the headquarters of the New York City Department of Education at the Tweed Courthouse in Lower Manhattan on Aug. 14. (Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times)

Nationwide studies have shown that schools with endorsed librarians score better on standardized tests in reading compared to those without.

You may also like

Most NY School District Budgets OK'd by Voters
Low Test Scores, Higher Bar, New Beginnings

NEW YORK—Christian Zabriskie can’t remember the names of any of his middle school teachers, but he will always remember Monica Blondin, the school librarian.

For years, Zabriskie and his friend Jon were prime targets for bullies in middle school. They found the light at the library, where Blondin taught them to be curious, structure their thinking, be determined, and stand up for others.

Most students across the city no longer have the support Zabriskie and his friend had. The number of librarians working in the city’s public schools has been decreasing since at least 2008, despite a state regulation that requires all secondary schools to hire one (elementary schools are an exception). More than half of the city’s secondary public schools do not have a librarian.

Matters are bound to get worse. The city’s Department of Education (DOE) is preparing to request that the State Education Department (SED) waive the regulation that requires schools to hire a librarian.

No librarians will be immediately laid off if the SED commissioner, John King, grants the waiver. But school principals, who make the hiring decisions, will then be free to choose not to hire a librarian in order to cut costs. Read more...

City Schools Are Quietly Using Fewer Librarians - WSJ.com

By
• LISA FLEISHER
• CONNECT

A difficult new chapter is under way for librarians in New York City public schools.
Officials estimate more than half of the city's high schools are in violation of state regulations that require schools to employ either part-time or full-time librarians, depending on enrollment.

Now, the Department of Education is preparing to ask the state to waive those requirements, arguing city schools can provide adequate library services even if there isn't a librarian in every school. New York would be the first district in the state to receive such a waiver, state officials said.

"We're looking for as much flexibility as we can get that still allows us to provide adequate staffing levels," said Gregg Betheil, an executive director of academic and talent management for the DOE. He said smaller schools can often share librarians.
The request comes after the teachers union complained to the state about the lack of librarians, and moved its case to court when the state declined to act. Please read more...

Skyview High teacher-librarian is 'Slayer of Ignorance' | OregonLive.com

Skyview High teacher-librarian is 'Slayer of Ignorance' | OregonLive.com

Related articles

• Libraries and literacy: Public, school libraries hook new readers for life | OregonLive.com (oregonlive.com)
• Hall of Shame (reel-librarians.com)