Talking points for Wednesday

This Wednesday is our state's Library Legislative Day when librarians from all types of libraries throughout the state descend on St. Paul to visit with their senators and house members about our organization's platform. This will also be the day when our "media specialist in every building" bill gets it first hearing. Below are our talking points for that bill, written with the help of Linda Wise, Leslie Yoder and Lisa Finsness.

Talking Points for MEMO/MLA Platform Plank

In order for a student to have the regular service of a licensed library media specialist throughout the school day, a school district must employ at least one licensed library media specialist for each school building in the district. The licensed library media specialist must build age and developmentally appropriate collections of both print and electronic resources, collaborate in teaching the embedded information and technology literacy standards, according to the requirements of section 120B.023, subdivision 2, and develop learning activities that improve student achievement.

POSITION:    Every Minnesota student needs the services of an on-site licensed library media specialist.

RATIONALE:     1) Over 18 studies, replicated in states across the country, show student achievement increases an average of 10%-20% when school library media centers are staffed with certified library media specialists.
    2) All Minnesota students are entitled to an equitable education.

Professional School Librarians provide these critical services for children and young adults:

• They build age and developmentally appropriate collections of reading and research materials that promote independent, life-long learning.
• They collaboratively plan, teach and evaluate research units with students at all age levels that stress critical thinking skills.
• They teach critical information skills that all students need in order to be successful in both academic and life settings. (health care, job searches, post sec education)
• They help students learn and teachers integrate technology into lessons and units.
• They promote the use of high quality print and electronic resources – book, databases and technologies.
• They work with their school site teams (or administration?) to leverage assets to insure that the financial investments of technology are fully realized.
• Most importantly, they level the playing field by promoting digital equity in regard to access and skills, thus helping to reduce the growing achievement gap.
  

Students and teachers without the services of a qualified school library media specialist are at a significant educational disadvantage. They are less likely to learn and practice 21st century skills of information and technology literacy, to be able to participate in the global economy, and to understand the importance of digital citizenship in today’s world.

Evidence:

• Minnesota Public Schools have reduced or eliminated the school media specialist position in over 375 public schools, from 2001 to 2004.  [indications are that] the data weren’t any better for 2005 and 2006. Deborah Jesseman, Ph.D, MLS, professor, Minnesota State University, Mankato
• In Minnesota schools:
• With above-average student scores on the grade 3, 5, and 8 MCA reading tests, 66.8% were schools where the library media specialist worked full-time.
• Twice as many schools with above-average scores had full-time library media specialists.
• 93% of 5-Star Schools in reading and math have library media specialists. (Baxter and Smalley, 2003)
• "Advocate for and support the role of school library media centers as a foundation for increasing student achievement through information/technology literacy, promotion of reading skills, and curriculum support." Minnesota Department of Education's 2005-2008 State Plan for Technology
• "School libraries are a stronger indicator of student success than class size, experience of teacher, number of computers, or location of school." Facts at a Glance…Student Achievement and the School Library Media Program (Updated 2006)
• Nationwide data supporting the correlation between student achievement and professionally-staffed libraries can be found at: Library Research Service's Research and Statistics About Libraries,"Impact Studies."   http://www.lrs.org/impact.asp
  

These are but three of 28 stories of cuts in library professional staff from districts across the state. All Minnesota children need access to good library programs run by trained library media specialists.

• Bemidji Middle School…[has] one para to serve about 1200 students.
• "When the [Moundsview] media specialist retired at the end of 04-05 the position was cut to .5.  There are 1,100 students at our  school and we circulate 19,000 books every year…."
• Of 66 [SPPS schools], only 22 have full-time library media specialists, 14 have part-time library media specialists and 30 have either parent volunteers, education assistants, teaching assistants or no one staffing the library media centers. Students are arriving at the secondary level with no familiarity with libraries and no information seeking skills."

Look out, St. Paul, here we come!

Comments

[David Hoffman]

Doug, these are great points, succinct, comprehensive, convincing (let's hope). Folks here in Washington State are fighting the school library funding battle right now, as you and Blue Skunk Blog readers may know; their efforts have received some pretty good publicity and lots of local as well as national suport. See http://www.fundourfuturewashington.org/index.html and the blog http://librariesfordemocracy.org/fundfuture/

I'm sending the "Spokane moms turned activists" who are working so hard on this issue a pointer to these "Talking Points for Wednesday" in in St. Paul, as their next hurdle is to talk to the Wash. State Legislature Education Committee tomorrow, Tues., in Olympia.

Thanks for posting.
Dave Hoffman
Vancouver, Washington

[Doug Johnson]

Hi David,

Your efforts in WA have been getting great press in the library community. Congrats and best wishes. Glad to hear our out talking points may be of some use to you.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for each other!

Doug