Jane Corry
Multnomah County Library
Why are School Libraries Important?
They not only foster a love of reading (the only place in schools that have the time to focus on that) and they are centers of not only technology but instruction in how to use and evaluate the information they come across, Navigating and evaluating information is not taught anywhere else.
How has a School Librarian or Library Impacted You?
As a public librarian I can see the difference in informational sophistication between schools that have a librarians and those that don’t.
How Does the Work of School Libraries Impact Your Work as a Library Professional or Person?
When students don’t have adequate libraries at their schools ( here in Oregon it’s been getting steadily worse since the early 90s), they have to turn to the public library which is also not equipped to provide curriculum support.
For the first time we are seeing strong language protecting School Libraries in national education policy. ESEA is up for a vote and this bill will be CRUCIAL to the future of school libraries, a section of the profession that has been under assault for decades. An Assault on One is an Assault on ALL. Stand up for School Libraries in America TODAY!
Find your Elected Official in the House
- Contact your Representative to let them know how essential this bill is to our children’s education and futures.
- Contact absolutely everyone you know and ask them to do the same thing.
Talking points
- Vote Yes on the Every Student Succeeds Act Conference Report.
- School libraries are critical to our children’s future and the Conference Report includes critical language to support effective school library programs.
This language is historic: For the first time in half a century Congress has underscored the importance of effective school library programs by expressly including them in multiple parts of this watershed reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Join the movement to protect school libraries and call Congress today.