“When you remove a qualified librarian from
the
library, I believe that the
library begins to cease to exist,” said
Graig
Henshaw, a librarian from the
York
City
School
District
.
“When you remove a qualified librarian from the
library, I believe that the
library begins to cease to exist,” said Graig
Henshaw, a librarian from the York
City
School District
“When you remove a qualified librarian from the library, I believe that the
library begins to cease to exist,” said Graig Henshaw, a librarian from the York
City School District.
while Pennsylvania doesn’t require librarians for public schools, it mandates
them for private schools and prisons.
Former students
Kristy Oren said her high school librarian introduced her to databases and
helped her prepare for university-level research
During Sean Gregory’s four years at Danville High School, he “noticed a subtle
but steady decrease in that trademark ease of access” that he came to take for
granted in the library when its staff was reduced and eliminated.
Representative Paul Clymer, who chairs the Education Committee, saying, “I was
concerned to learn through the study that, on average, staffing, funding,
access, and resources are inadequate for achieving optimal benefit from these
specialized educators.”
The study outlined six recommendations, which included restoring the state-level
Division of School Library Media Services in the Commonwealth Libraries and
appointing a director; creating an information literacy curriculum; having an
annual assessment of school library programs; making the state Guidelines for Pennsylvania School Library
Programs available to administrators; and providing guidance in the
selection of adaptive technologies for the visual disabled and materials in
languages other than English
"Meanwhile, Sandra Zelno of the
Education Law Center
shared school library
initiatives from other states and pointed out that while Pennsylvania doesn't
require librarians for public schools, it mandates them for private schools and
prisons."