We are always fans of the best possible library service in every library, including school libraries! Check out this excerpt of a write up on a recent survey on school library employment. You can read the entire article here, and find the survey itself here.

“What’s Behind the SLIDE? Findings from a Study of School Librarian Employment

By Debra E. Kachel and Keith Curry Lance on 08/02/2021 • ( 1 )

Most of us know there have been large losses of school librarians over the past two decades.  What is less well known—and begs for attention—is that these losses pose a major educational equity issue. In our new study (Lance and Kachel 2021d), we found that everyone isn’t losing their librarians; losses tend to occur in districts where there are more students living in poverty, more minority students, and more English language learners. Districts with fewer such students are far more likely to have and maintain librarians. The other news is that, since 2015-16, several states have begun to see net increases in their numbers of school librarians. The School Librarian Investigation: Decline of Evolution? (SLIDE) study is based at Antioch University Seattle.

The study also found evidence that eliminating librarian positions may not be all about money. Between 2009 and 2019, an examination of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data revealed that instructional coordinators increased by almost 34 percent; district administrators, by more than 16 percent, and school administrators, by more than 15 percent. Teachers were reduced by a little over 1 percent, while school librarians declined by almost 20 percent. Per-pupil spending also hints that local district priorities may override school funding in staffing choices. Districts spending the least per pupil (less than $10,000) had better staffing than districts spending between $10,000 and $15,000 per pupil. However, districts spending over $15,000 per pupil had the best librarian staffing.

There is also some good news in how states support school librarians and their libraries. From a survey conducted in fall 2020 (Kachel and Lance 2021b), it was learned that over half the states have some language mandating school library staffing—some based on a ratio of students to librarian (Kachel and Lance 2021a). At least nine other states are currently attempting to pass legislation requiring school librarians in their schools (Kachel and Lance 2021c). Other factors showing state support of school libraries include:

• Almost 90 percent of states provide access to licensed databases and e-resources.
• Over two-thirds of the states have at least a part-time government official assigned with oversight of school libraries.
• Over 40 percent of states have a state ratio of students per librarian of under 800 students.
• Thirty percent of states provide direct funding to their school libraries.”

Read the rest of this article here!