We'll get back to the video later.
It is true, as ably described by Lauren, Verna, Geoffrey, and the other posters, that there is much to be discouraged about concerning the future of school libraries. Many libraries are facing cuts in materials budgets and (more importantly) staffing. They are not given highest priority in many schools as people question their necessity in this internet age.
I wanted to explore one specific recent years that offers hope for the future of school libraries that Verna mentioned. That is Congress passing (with bipartisan support!) the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which President Barack Obama signed on December 15, 2015.
(image of signing ceremony from whitehouse.gov)
Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the American Library Association Washington Office (ALAWASH), headed the ALA's federal lobbying efforts, and expressed gratification over its passage -- even though it did fall short of her ideal. `"If I were the king of all things," she told School Library Journal editor Rebecca T. Miller, "I would have wanted a section [in the bill] for school libraries that required every school...[to] have a school library with a state-certified school librarian and such staff as that librarian needs to teach every student in the school what they need to know." (Miller, 2016).
ESSA does not have that. But it still has "a lot" according to Sheketoff. Provisions in the new law that might impact school libraries. One advance is is simple recognition throughout the law's text that libraries are an integral part of effective schools. "School libraries and school librarians are really recognized as critical education partners in this bill" says 2015-16 ALA president Sari Feldman. (Heitin, 2015). The "acknowledgement that an effective library is part of a good school" means that "if a school is failing, one of the things the school district needs to look at is if [it has] an effective library program" according to Shektoff (Miller, 2016).
In addition, ESSA includes the Innovative Approaches to Literacy program, which empowers to Secretary of Education to award grants and contracts to promote literacy programs -- monies that could theoretically be awarded for library resources and professional development for librarians. It also permits the use of Federal Title II funds to support instructional services "provided by effective school library programs" and encourages schools and districts to promote digital skills and literacy -- tasks well-suited for libraries. (Heitin, 2015).
However, the law as written permits and encourages states and local school districts to seek out grants and improve library programs, it does not mandate them necessarily. ESSA in general gives more leeway for local control decisions than the legislation it replaced (No Child Left Behind). There is no federal dedicated funding stream or line item funding for school libraries in the law.
What that means is that the future challenge for school librarians and school library supporters is to marshal support from school administrators to aggressively take advantage of the funding opportunities from ESSA and convince districts that supporting libraries (with federal, state, and local monies) is necessary to create vibrant school environments that promote learning. Basically it means that librarians still have the burden of lobbying for more funding for their positions and to try to marshal both administrative and public support for school libraries.
Which means more public relations efforts making arguments similar to what is seen in the video above. (see, I told you we'd get back to the video). ESSA does not guarantee the future of school libraries, but it gives more resources -- and the imprimatur of government recognition -- to those librarians seeking to both preserve and transform the school library -- and perhaps one day achieve the dream of a library and a librarian in every school.
Resources linked and cited in this post
[Captstone Publishers]. (2014, October 22). School libraries matter: the changing role of the school librarian. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eilZJp3_h8.
Heitin, L. (2015, December 9). How literacy programs and school libraries fare under the new federal bill [Web log post]. Retrieved April 21, 2016, from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2015/12/literacy_school_libraries_ESSA.html
Miller, R. T. (2016). A new start: With school libraries in ESSA, on the the next phase of advocacy. School Library Journal. Retrieved April 21, 2016, from http://www.slj.com/2016/01/opinion/editorial/a-new-start-with-school-libraries-in-essa-on-to-the-next-phase-of-advocacy-editorial/#_
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