demise ? of school libraries

First, a nice little video on why we should care about the possible demise of school libraries

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/#_

The demise of school libraries

School Libraries and the SDUSD

by: Marcela Miramontes

After reading John Owen’s article Not as We Remember It: Public Education Is Being Gutted, I was not too surprised when he brought up the lack of funding for school libraries, but I was shocked when he mentioned how a “school without its own library is now all too common” and how proof can be seen on a crowd-sourced Google map titled “A Nation Without School Librarians” (School Library Journal, Sept. 2013). After reading this piece, I immediately looked up this map on Google, and sure enough, it shows a map of the U.S as well as the rest of the world dotted with pins indicating which schools have no libraries or certified librarians. I was sad to see how such a wealthy nation as our own was dotted with so many pins. 

This article immediately brought to my mind two interviews I watched recently; in the interview videos, two school library technicians, Theresa and Sarah, expressed the need for more staff and aides in school libraries.

Theresa mentioned that one of the challenges she has struggled with the most is limiting the amount of time and the number of students who can use the library because of staff shortage ("RBHS Library Tour and Interview") and Sarah mentioned that she would like an aide to help her with shelving and checking out books so that she can have more time for library lessons and helping other students. Sarah herself admitted that although the students do a fine job as volunteers, they are still too young to keep up with the duties of a library technician ("LCM Library Tour and Interview”)

I do not think students should be barred from the library simply because there are not enough staff members available. I understand that in an elementary school or middle school students may need more supervision, but I found it annoying as a teen when staff insisted on treating me like a five-year-old when I was three weeks away from my 18th birthday.  A solution to this problem I’ve seen some High Schools take is to have students volunteer as library assistants for a certain amount of time a week during the school year. The advantage of this arrangement is that the volunteers can gain valuable experience in a professional setting, their peers will feel more comfortable asking them, a fellow student, for help, and the library will be more accessible to all students.

Because of my job with the San Diego Unified School District, I have had the opportunity to visit several school libraries throughout San Diego, but I have never really thought about the struggles faced by the libraries and the library staff; after asking them about their position and what they would change, most of them expressed dissatisfaction with the current school system, their part time position, and the lack of support.

Works Cited

Owens, John. "Not As We Remember It." School Library Journal 59.9 (2013): 20. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.

"LCM Library Tour and Interview." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.

"A Nation Without School Librarians." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.

"RBHS Library Tour and Interview." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2016

Dreams crushed: the Demise of Public School Libraries, by: Hailey Jackson

I’m in my final semester to obtain a “Library Information Technology” certificate from Palomar College in San Marcos, California. Final semester. I sat across the table from a professor and two other students, both of whom already worked at elementary school libraries in Southern California. The information shared with me was nothing short of jaw-dropping. “The jobs aren’t what they used to be.” “Librarians used to be credentialed teachers.” “The union is really coming down on ‘media technicians’ doing anything that could be taken as ‘teaching’.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I had been persuing this certificate for the last 18 months hoping to secure a job at my kids’ elementary school once they were all going for full days. It was a good fit, and I’d get to make a difference! The “librarian” there now does a handful of story times each week and does the laminating for each teacher. Surely, there were improvements to make, things to teach, ways to get kids excited about reading and make meaningful connections. The librarian should be working with teachers so that the students’ time in the library coincides with Common Core curriculum. But no. And it will never be.

According to the California Department of Education, “California continues to rank at the bottom of professional library staffing numbers.” Professional staffing numbers refers to trained, or credentialed librarians. That said, the CDE states that sixteen percent of schools in California don’t have a library. So are libraries reaching the end of their usefulness in schools? Is there hope for people like me, who want to work in school libraries?

An empty library at a New York Public School. Funding enabled the creation of the library, but is lacking for staffing.

Clearly, there is a place for libraries. Studies abound online that show a correlation between access to books and success, so how can libraries be saved. The answer, like it so commonly is, is money. “Once, students held bake sales and car washes to fund some activities. Now, principals, teachers, and parents have been forced to assume that role on a grand scale to pay for books, athletic equipment, after-school activities. Instead of cupcakes and soapsuds, they use today’s equivalent of the hat in hand—the grant application—to beg foundations and corporations to underwrite what, until recently, most Americans would have considered the birthright of students in our public schools.” (School Library Journal, Sept. 2013) Even the CDE states that library funding has gone the way of the Grant, meaning that administrators, teachers and parents now have to petition private industry and the government to solicit funds for everything from playground equipment to books for libraries and classrooms. And while it seems grim, there is hope. Even for someone like me, in her last semester of obtaining a certificate that seems doomed. While credentialed librarian positions are decreasing in the state of California, libraries themselves seem to be making an impact. In my own local school district, our once antiquated librarian is running STEM programs at lunch time. The job is not the same as it once was, but now I don’t need a teaching credential to work at the school. And my hope still exists that I can make a difference in the lives of children in my community.
Works Cited:
Owens, John. "Not As We Remember It." School Library Journal 59.9 (2013): 20. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.

Ow

BYOD and libraries

I enjoyed reading the posts on this topic by Lauren and Verna; I will try to add what I can.

BYOD, of course, stands for Bring Your Own Device.  In the library (and school library) context the devices in question are iPads, tablets, smartphones -- electronic devices that can search for information on the Internet and provide media objects (text, visual, audio). Doug Johnson, director of media and technology at a Minnesota school district, refers to these devices as having a library in one's pocket, and argues that they "call into question the need to traditional, print-oriented libraries, as well as traditional print-oriented teacher librarians."

My own personal observations on this phenomenon include

• in substitute teaching high school and middle school, I reckon 98 percent of students bring some sort of device with them
• 98 percent of the time, the devices are used for goofing off.  

I have seen some more productive work done with school-issued Chromebooks, including teachers using Google classroom for assignments and such.  (Johnson and Lagarde make a distinction between 1:1 programs in which the school district furnishes the electronic device,and BYOD, in which the family pays for it; BYOD might appeal to some as less costly to the district. However, the disruptive elements of this information technology seem to apply regardless of who is paying for the devices).  

According to Johnson, school librarians and those who staff them should get out in front of popularity and potential of electronic devices and make themselves "indispensable to school efforts in "giving all students continuous access to online resources."

One ramification of the goal of continuous network is the library's own wireless network. Johnson and Largarde contend that school libraries should include a robust wireless network infrastructure, ideally with enough bandwidth to support four devices per student. They also suggest that perhaps schools can create a separate wireless network for students and guests, keeping it separate from the computer network dealing with online gradebooks, payroll, library circulation, to minimize security risks.

Johnson explores other ramifications in a 2012 article first published in Library Media Connection, in which he calls for librarians to ask several questions about themselves and their school programs. These include

1. Do library rules help or hinder students in utilizing their mobile devices?  Johnson argues that libraries should not ban these devices, but rather encourage their use to to access information and etextbooks. It can also support their use by making sure their wireless connectivity is strong and battery charging be made convenient.
2. Does library staff have prompt and accurate answers to electronic device-related questions, including solving problems linking to the wireless network, program logins, and finding digital resources. Johnson argues that the library should become the default "go-to" place for such questions. l
3. Are library resources procured with their potential use by mobile computer devices in mind?Johnson argues that digital resources should be usable on a wide spectrum of large and small devices. 
4. Are library instructional programs and templates available on Google Docs or similar cloud programs, and do seminars by library staff teach students how to use their own devices to access library resources? 

Focusing on these and other questions, Johnson contends, will help libraries and librarians harness the power and popularity of electronic devices most students have to productive uses, and in the process ensure that libraries and librarians survive as a vital part of America's changing school and technology landscape,

Works Cited

Johnson, D. (2012). "BYOD to the library," Library Media Connection," August/September.

LaGarde, J., & Johnson, D. (2014). Why do I still need a library when I have one in my pocket? Teacher Librarian, 41(5), 40-44. Retrieved April 20, 2016.





[Chuck Norris picture taken from from Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog at http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2012/11/7/byod-a-short-list-of-resources.html]

Makerspaces

Written by Verna Grant

What is a makerspace? It is a place that supports the maker movement, which in turn is about hands-on learning by building things. It is a place to create, collaborate, and learn (Kurti, Kurti, & Flemming, 2014). Makerspaces can be as simple as making crafts and offering design challenges with materials that are on hand or as ­elaborate as using technology to code, make movies, create robots, or try out 3-D printing. It all depends on the materials and funding available for each space.

Embed from Getty Images

Makerspaces can be an ideal setting to place in a school library. Both are informal learning environments and have open spaces for people to work individually or in groups. It is a central area to create a community for the whole school, while providing materials such as references, computers, and printers (Weisgrau, 2015).

The school library staff can play an integral part in makerspaces, besides just providing the space and materials. It can also be an opportunity to collaborate with teachers on activities and workshops that coincide with what the students are learning. Time could be provided for students to come in and work where staff would be available for assistance. Appropriate reference books could be added to the library, such as the books recommended by the School Library Journal. For elementary schools, staff can read stories aloud to students that encourage the same type of thinking and learning as makerspaces.

For example, reading the book Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty.

The goal of makerspaces in the school library, is to teach students to learn by doing. By working individually and collaboratively, students have the opportunity to learn not just from the project but also from each other. It also give students the opportunity to teach others what they have learned in the process. It also encourages students to be engaged and use creative thinking to complete their projects.

This video with Sir Ken Robinson talks about creativity in education. His points coincide with the philosophy of makerspaces.

Makerspaces can be an ideal place for students to grow, and school libraries can be the central point that makes that happen.

Works Cited

Abrams Books. (2013, August 26). Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty, Illustrated by David Roberts. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT9mqJPAM2k

Adobe. (2012, December 7). Why is creativity important in education? Sir Ken Robinson video series from Adobe Education. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywIhJ2goiGE

Kurti, R. S., Kurti, D. L., & Fleming, L. (2014). The philosophy of educational makerspacesL Part 1 of making an educational makerspace. Teacher Librarian: The Journal for School Library Professionals, 41(5), 8-11. Retrieved from http://www.teacherlibrarian.com/2014/06/18/educational-makerspaces/

Weisgrau, J. (2015, September 24). School libraries and makerspaces: Can they coexist? Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/school-libraries-makerspaces-coexist-josh-weisgrau

Makerspaces - by Lauren Lane

With libraries having to squeeze as much out of tight budgets, makerspaces have been an innovative way to attract students and patrons to their school or public libraries.  A makerspace creates an atmosphere of learning and collaboration.  A student or patron is there to create something for their own personal needs (Kurti).  Often times a librarian starts the teaching process to a student or patron and then before you know it the student or patron becomes the teacher for other students or patrons making the maker space a “great social equalizer,” according to Judy Houser a librarian at the Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy in Florida (Kurti). 

This creative space can be used for a myriad of reasons.  There’s makerspaces related to computer programming, sewing, 3D printing, paper craft, Legos, etc.  You think it…there is probably a makerspace tutorial you can find online to try to implement in your library.  There are so much cool things out there that are cost efficient that could be added to libraries, public and school in way of a maker space.  Raspberry Pi, for example, inspires new computer programmers and inventors.   For a cost of $25-$35, you have a computer the size of a credit card which allows you to download an operating system and sends you on a way to discovery.  Here’s a brief video of what a Raspberry Pi is:

The possibilities are endless, there is  so much that you can do.  Lights can turn on, you can create robots, your imagination is your director.   Makey Makey , another cool concept, that allows students or patrons to have fun while learning how a computer works.  Tools like Raspberry Pi and Makey Makey really helps create a learning and teaching community.

Creating and implementing a makerspace requires research, commitment and learning.   What do librarians need to do when considering setting up his or her makerspace?  Do you want something on the technology side?  Something on the crafty side?  Both?  A combination?  Different makerspaces?  What do you want?  A survey of librarians who had implemented their own makerspaces gave a lot of insight into the above considerations.  One respondent reported that he had a couple of things in his makerspaces so if one thing didn’t grab the attention of one student maybe something else would.  He had a technology based space and then a craft space (Moorefield-Lang). 

Perhaps the biggest issue when trying to implement a makerspace  is training for library staff.  The training is spare at best and takes commitment from the librarian, a willingness to fail, a fearless attitude to play with new technology (Moorefield-Lang).  It takes a lot of research and you will be the one training yourself through the use of various tools many of which will be new to you.  A further exploration of responses to Heather Moorefield-Lang’s survey, respondents listed the following are resources that are invaluable to use when trying your own makerspace:  going to peers in the field, using online sources such as YouTube to get ideas and tutorials, relying on student assistants, relying on friends, using volunteers and by looking and playing with what they had (Moorefield-Lang).  These resources are important when trying to make your own makerspace. 

The positive things from having a makerspace is amazing but it will take time, commitment and a long and odd road to find what works.  But with commitment, librarians can reach out to patrons and students like never before with the utilization of makerspaces.

So there are some really exciting and cool things out there!  Here’s some links that I think would get the ball rolling on creating your own makerspaces in your library:

Pinterest board: This link will take you to numerous pins about makerspaces that are already being used in libraries.  Some great ideas!

Raspberry Pi: For patrons and students interested in programming, this low cost computer system really will get students in the driver’s seat when learning about computers. 

Here’s short video about setting up a Raspberry Pi :

Makey Makey:

Have fun while learning!  This is a kit that offers the ability to have fun while learning the elementary elements of what makes a computer work.   Here are a couple of videos about Makey Makey:

Crafting:

The Pinterest board shows a lot of crafts and sewing projects you can make in a makerspace.  This was shown to me on Facebook and I think it’s a simple, cheap and fun project that students and patrons can make with little instruction! Make Your Own Felt Cat

What about you?  What are you excited about when it comes to makerspaces?  What have you seen?

Works Cited

Belcher, Gale. Programming Librarian: Mini-Maker: Sew a Felt Cat. (2016). Web. 13 Apr.

     2016.

Kurti, Steve. “Makerspace Blast Off!.” Teacher Librarian 42.3 (2015): 54-55. Academic

     Search Premier. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.

"Makey Makey: An Invention Kit for Everyone." Jay Silver. YouTube. Web. 13. Apr. 2016.

Moorefield-Lang, Heather. "Change In The Making: Makerspaces And The Ever-Changing
     Landscape Of Libraries." Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning
     59.3 (2015): 107-112. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.

"New Invention: Makey Makey GO: Invent Everywhere, Invent Now!" Future Ideas

     &Technology. YouTube. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.

"Setting up a Raspberry Pi." ExplainingComputers. YouTube. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.

"What is a Raspberry Pi?" Raspberry Pi. YouTube. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)

Written by Verna Grant

There once was a time when cell phones were not allowed in school. But with the growth of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies in schools, that is no longer the case. This type of policy encourages students and staff to bring their own device on campus in order to integrate technology and learning.

Embed from Getty Images

With school libraries becoming the hub for students to work or collaborate in, those devices are ending up in the library as well. This can be beneficial to the students, the school, and the library. Not only are students learning from devices that they are familiar with, but schools can save money on purchasing and keeping up to date with technology. It also helps to resolve the problem of a shortage of computers that are available in the library (National Library of New Zealand).

Libraries can begin addressing the use of devices by taking positive steps towards technology use. This could be by implementing policies about the devices, teaching skills about digital citizenship and literacy (such as the lessons provided by Common Sense Media), and keeping students informed on how they can access the library catalog, databases, and e-books (National Library of New Zealand).  Because students may not have access to databases the school provides as they move on, they also need to be taught the skills to search for and evaluate the information they find on the open web (Taylor,Subramanium, Waugh, 2015).

Watch the video below to see why the Peel District School Board decided to start implementing their BYOD policy.

Technology is such an important part of the world today that students need to understand how to gather, create, and share information responsibly. School libraries, as the center of information literacy, should proactively be part of the solution of preparing students with the different types of technology they have available to them. In order to do that school libraries need to prepare.

Setting up policies and preparing lessons are just the beginning. School libraries need to be equipped for the devices by having wireless network access, more outlets available, and spaces for the students to work together or alone. Both teachers and library staff need professional development to make the best use to the BYOD policies. Library staff also need to collaborate with teachers on lessons, discuss what works, and provide insight on how to made BYOD even more successful. The goal needs to be that students leave with the ability to use technology and information skillfully and safely as they continue to learn and move closer to becoming adults.

Works Cited

National Library of New Zealand. (n.d.). BYOD in the school library. Retrieved from http://schools.natlib.govt.nz/school-libraries/your-library-online/byod-school-library

PeelSchools. (2013, January 23). Why BYOD? Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7zHdGfN530

Rogado, O. L. (n.d.). Tabletas digitales [Digital image]. Retrieved from http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/tabletas-digitales-royalty-free-image/464639997

Taylor, N. G., Subramaniam, M., & Waugh, A. (2015, February 26). The school librarian as learning alchemist: Transforming the future of education [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2015/02/26/the-school-librarian-as-learning-alchemist/

The demise of school libraries

Written by Verna Grant

We’ve all heard the term before – budget cuts. Our education system throughout the United States has been taking budget cuts and our school libraries are one of the things that are taking the hit.

For my state of California, the budget for books are almost nonexistent. Due to budgets being allocated elsewhere and the loss of the School and Library Improvement Block Grant, for 51% of schools, the primary source of library funding is through fundraising. This is leaving the average age of nonfiction books at 20 years old (California Department of Education, 2015).

It is not just the budget for books that is lost, it is also the budget to have staff run the library. Teacher librarians are being cut and spread thin and hours are being reduced. In the 2000-2001 school year for California, there was 1 teacher librarian for every 4,306 students. For the 2014-2015 school year, it was reduced to 1 teacher librarian for every 7,187 students. As of the 2013-2014 school year, 86% of public schools in California were being run by classified staff (California Department of Education, 2015). Schools have either removed teacher librarians or spread them out to run more than one school library.

Chart created based on the statistics from the California Department of Education

On top of the reduction of teacher librarians and classified staff taking over the libraries, the library hours have been reduced. Library hours in California are now on average 25 hours per week (California Department of Education, 2015). With students in California in school an average of 31 hours per week, the students miss out on having access to the library an average of 224 hours per school year (National Center for Education Statistics).

We are losing libraries and staff when we need them the most. Books are expected to be up-to-date and aligned to Common Core State Standards. Staff needs to be available for students to use the library at least throughout the school day. Teacher librarians are needed to teach students about information literacy, especially with so many forms of information available today. Debra Kachel, a professor of School Library and Information Technologies, explained it best that “Librarians teach information literacy – how to separate the useful from the less useful, the credible from the inaccurate, and how to navigate the internet safely (Kachel, 2015).”

So do we lose hope and mourn the demise of school libraries? Not necessarily. The president recently signed a bill for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) that could provide a boost for school libraries. The American Library Association’s current president, Sari Feldman says “School libraries and school librarians are really recognized as critical education partners in this bill. (Gravatt, 2015)” This bill would provide opportunities for grants being awarded to school libraries, funding for professional development of library staff, and the chance for a library to once again become a core part of the school curriculum.

Obama signs the ESSA. Photo from District Dispatch and whitehouse.gov.

But even without this bill, school libraries are transforming from the quiet study areas that they once were. Many school libraries are now turning their libraries into a common area, a place for students and staff to gather and collaborate with each other. Others are also turning them into “makerspaces,” where students have to opportunity to create. Depending on the school’s budget, it can be as simple as working with donated materials such as old catalogs and old VHS cassettes. But it can also be as elaborate as making their own videos, using a green screen, or designing their own logos on the computer (Fine, 2015). Whatever the case, it is becoming a place that is welcoming and encouraging for students to come in and actively learn. We are not facing the demise of the school library, we are witnessing its transformation.

Works Cited

California Department of Education. (2015, October 8). Statistics about California school libraries. Retrieved April 4, 2016, from http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/lb/schoollibrstats08.asp

Fine, A. (2015, June). Transforming quiet school libraries into collaborative spaces. Retrieved from http://www.districtadministration.com/article/transforming-quiet-school-libraries-collaborative-spaces

Gravatt, N. (2015, December 10). Significant victory for libraries as President signs ESSA into law. Retrieved from http://www.districtdispatch.org/2015/12/significant-victory-for-libraries-as-president-signs-essa-into-law/

Kachel, D. (2015, July 13). The calamity of the disappearing school libraries [Web log post]. Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://theconversation.com/the-calamity-of-the-disappearing-school-libraries-44498

National Center for Education Statistics. (n.d.). Average number of hours in the school day and average number of days in the school year for public schools, by state: 2007–08. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/sass/tables/sass0708_035_s1s.asp