Image from Scholastic

This past week, Scholastic and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation released Primary Sources: America’s Teachers on America’s Schools. It compiles survey data asked of over 40,000 people. 

Stephen Krashen waded through the document and found some interesting library-specific data, which he posted to the AASL Forum listserv.  Here’s a screen shot of what he found on page 75:

{Click to expand image}

The question asks, “Where do your students get books for their independent reading most often?” 83% of the 25,000+ respondents across K-12 say “the school library.” For middle school teachers, that number jumps to 87% File those statistics away in your PR folders … if school libraries are a source of material for that high percentage of students, as perceived by their teachers, do we not owe our students outstanding, up-to-date collections, not just a paraprofessional who can circulate and reshelve existing materials?

We often hear school board members say that students can just go to the public library to get materials if a school library closes.  But look at line three above: 38% of all respondents say their students get pleasure reading materials from the public library.  38% vs. 83% at the school library.  Take away the school library as a source, and the numbers get pretty gritty.  We’ve got a whole lot of kids who use school libraries but not public libraries, according to their teachers. If less than 40% use their public libraries, that means 60% aren’t. 

But Krashen also points out that 87% of elementary teachers responded that their students get materials from classroom libraries. That’s a higher percentage who perceive that their students get materials from school libraries.  This scares the !%$^* out of me.

It’s taken me a lot of years to calm my histimines so that I don’t get upset when a teacher says as I’m booktalking, “Boys and girls, you can get that from our classroom library.” Yes, they could, or they could take the book FROM MY HAND! 

But I remain keenly aware that classroom libraries are here to stay.  That being said, teachers have little to no guidance on how to develop quality classroom libraries.  They are extolled to spend personal dollars at garage sales or to use book club points to acquire materials.  I worry about this.  Such selection procedures do not create classroom libraries that accommodate all interests of all learners.  Classroom libraries do not have to meet the selection standards that school libraries do, nor are most influenced by reviews.

With few exceptions, classroom library books may not represent as wide a range of reading levels or include genres like comics, graphic novels (or, as a pen pal of mine says, THOSE TWO ARE THE SAME THING), non-fiction, how-to books, or short stories. They may have been acquired at garage sales and have older copyright dates, which can lead to less diversity within their pages.  They may be overly influenced by book orders (any surprise that the question above asks about book clubs and book fairs when Scholastic is a sponsor?). 

Do you subscribe to review journals? I do. Do you share those journals with your teachers? Uhhhh …. I don’t.  But I think I’d better.Â

Bookmark to:  

Reader’s Workshop is bubbling up in our district as a grassroots effort.  The Daily 5 and The CAFE Book have given simple, powerful pointers to our students.

I’m excited to let folks know that Patrick Allen has a new book on conferencing during Reader’s Workshop called Conferring, and Stenhouse has a full-text preview online!

In my afternoon gig as staff developer, I keep reminding administrators that school librarians can be part of these initiatives, reducing teacher stress and maximizing student contact.  As librarians, staying on top of what’s new helps us hold our value in tough times.

Bookmark to:  

Check out the list of finalists for the federal Race To The Top. No Michigan money.

Bookmark to: