[aisle] Are there still middle school libraries?

Thu Aug 25 06:25:46 CDT 2022

Dear Stephanie & School Library Colleagues,
I hope you don't mind me jumping into this conversation.

I am at a middle school in Michigan that has a thriving school library.
Last year -- a different, smaller district in Michigan closed its Middle
School Library.
This was devastating and I believe this denies the students at that school
equitable access to all of the resources and services that a school library
staffed by a school librarian provides.
Early in the school year (2021-2022), I wrote up this
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yQyJSaDUTTIQEOI_5mXoyTCNMa_JnaI6UKAf6Acve-Q/edit?usp=sharing>
article comparing the two schools and what the difference looks like for
students.  It includes visuals that help others to 'see' this difference.
Classroom libraries are *not* the same as school libraries in terms of
providing equitable access, a broad selection of diverse materials, and
instruction in the use of resources, information literacy, and digital
citizenship.  While it may seem like a good idea in the short term, how
will they keep those classroom libraries updated in the future to provide
up-to-date interesting materials to keep students reading?  It will
actually cost *more* to keep those classroom libraries updated and vibrant
than to update the school library... and if they are planning to just let
the classroom libraries languish... that is so wrong in terms of best
practices for what is right for students and their reading achievement in
middle school.

Here is an ALA Infographic about school libraries:
https://ilovelibraries.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/students-reach-greater-heights-with-school-librarians-7.pdf

Here is an International Literacy Association Brief about the necessary
leadership role of school librarians:
https://www.literacyworldwide.org/docs/default-source/where-we-stand/the-essential-leadership-of-school-librarians.pdf

Here is an Education Week piece with a section "Can Classroom Libraries
Replace School Libraries?" -- the answer is 'no'.
https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-why-school-librarians-are-the-literacy-leaders-we-need/2018/05

The book *Game Changer! Book Access for All Kids* by Donalyn Miller & Colby
Sharp does promote classroom libraries; but, it also has a chapter
dedicated to school libraries titled:
"School Libraries and Librarians: The Right of Every Child."  I have given
this book as a gift to a few administrators who were leaning toward
classroom libraries -- the copy that I gave them had small sticky 'tags'
highlighting mentions of the importance of school libraries in the book.

Please let me know if I (or AASL) can help in any way.

All my best,
--Kathy Lester

Kathy Lester, MLIS, MA
*Advocacy Co-Chair, Past-President 2014, *
Michigan Association for Media in Education (MAME)
*President, 2022-2023*
American Association of School Librarians (AASL)
*Councilor At Large*
American Library Association (ALA)
*School Library Media Specialist / Technology Coach, *
*East Middle School, Plymouth-Canton Schools*
*SL21 Model Library, 2017-2018*
*SL21 Exemplary Ranking - Michigan School Libraries for the 21st Century
2019-2022*
*ISTE Making IT Happen Award Winner*
*2017 MAME Michigan School Library Program of the Year*
*2012 **State Librarian's Excellence Award Winner*
kathyL at mimame.org
twitter: @LibraryL <https://twitter.com/LibraryL>

"Every school librarian is a leader; every learner has a school librarian"
--American Association of School Librarians
<http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/advocacy/tools/docs/AASL_Position_Statement_Effective_SLP_2018.pdf>
 (AASL)

On Wed, Aug 24, 2022 at 12:06 PM Sarah R via AISLE <
aisle at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:

> I'm a junior high school (grades 6-8) and while there are times I am shut
> down for testing, a majority of the time I'm open with a flexible schedule
> and many students and classes coming in for research lessons, media center
> lessons, book club, and checkout!
> Sarah
>
> Currently Reading:                                         Currently
> Listening To:
>   [image: Amazon.com: The Shattered Castle (The Ascendance Series, Book
> 5) (5) (Ascendance Trilogy): 9781338275902: Nielsen, Jennifer A.: Books]
>                                   [image: Shinji Takahashi and the Mark
> of the Coatl (The Society of Explorers and Adventurers): Kagawa, Julie:
> 9781368068192: Amazon.com: Books]
>
> Sarah Rudenga
> Media Center Coordinator
> Parker Junior High School
> Flossmoor, IL
> srudenga at sd161.org
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Aug 24, 2022 at 9:35 AM Erin Wengerhoff via AISLE <
> aisle at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:
>
>> My schedule is completely flexible - I let ELA teachers sign up for times
>> to come in twice a month. What questions do you have?
>>
>> Erin
>>
>>
>> *Erin Wengerhoff**MS Ed. EA, MS **LIS *
>> Pronouns: She/Her *Why list pronouns?*
>> <https://www.mypronouns.org/sharing/>
>> Library Media Specialist
>> Algonquin Middle School
>> 767 E. Algonquin Road
>> Des Plaines, IL 60016
>> 847-789-5601
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 24, 2022 at 9:04 AM Dawn Bik via AISLE <
>> aisle at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:
>>
>>> Erin,
>>>
>>> I would love to know what your schedule looks like seeing classes twice
>>> a week, and talk more.  I have a few questions.
>>>
>>> On Wed, Aug 24, 2022 at 8:42 AM Erin Wengerhoff via AISLE <
>>> aisle at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I have been a middle school librarian for the past 13 years, in Des
>>>> Plaines 62 School District. We still have libraries in ALL of our schools -
>>>> elementaries and middle school and they are all run by certified Library
>>>> Media Specialists.  I see ELA classes twice a month for book checkout and
>>>> lessons.
>>>>
>>>> Hope your principal can see the value of having a school library!
>>>>
>>>> Erin
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *Erin Wengerhoff**MS Ed. EA, MS **LIS *
>>>> Pronouns: She/Her *Why list pronouns?*
>>>> <https://www.mypronouns.org/sharing/>
>>>> Library Media Specialist
>>>> Algonquin Middle School
>>>> 767 E. Algonquin Road
>>>> Des Plaines, IL 60016
>>>> 847-789-5601
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Tue, Aug 23, 2022 at 3:46 PM Kleckner, Stephanie via AISLE <
>>>> aisle at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi friends!
>>>>> I was told that this is highly likely the last year for our middle
>>>>> school library. My principal said that she needs the space and wants to
>>>>> turn it into 2 classrooms. She said she asked around our area and a lot of
>>>>> middle schools don't have "library time" anymore. She also stated that they
>>>>> would divide all the library books between the classrooms and encourage
>>>>> students to go to the public library. So, are middle school libraries still
>>>>> a thing? How many of you have thriving middle school libraries?
>>>>> Thanks!
>>>>> Stephanie Kleckner
>>>>> Library Media Teacher
>>>>> Mendota Dist. #289
>>>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> *Dawn Bik *
>>> *Media Coordinator*
>>> *Grissom Middle School*
>>> *17000 S. 80th Avenue*
>>> *Tinley Park, IL 60477*
>>> *(708)429-3030 ext. 9508*
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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