The Demise of School Libraries

by Katherine McDonald 

                                                                                                                image from demcointeriors.com

Is this the end of school libraries? Several opinions sure seem to sway in the direction of, yes. As I read through a few articles discussing the demise of school libraries, the overall outlook felt pretty dismal. Globally, we are seeing a steady decline in the school library to include the role of teacher-librarian. Annually, funding continues to shrink significantly and the school boards hold all the cards when allocating that funding out. With so many competing interests, divvying up funding has become a game of chance and sadly, resources to school libraries remain high on the chopping block.(Chaudhary,2024)

It was a bit difficult finding information on school libraries that was both current and positive. However, there are some uplifting stories out there. (Martinez, 2024) Certainly, we know that school libraries have morphed and evolved into something new, even in just the past 5 years. Staff have to be extremely frugal and creative with resources/programming. School libraries are now centered around media and tech, teaching students how to use the library, about information literacy, instill beginning research skills, all while trying to engage students to be interested in books and reading! (Wernick,2011) Wow! Phew! Easy peasy! These resource centers are a one-stop-shop for learning and I commend all the teacher-librarians and/or library technicians being required to wear many hats to keep doors open for the children that need the school library, most.

So, is this the end of the school library? I would say, no, at least not yet, even in the current political climate where states are being left to fend for themselves. We are seeing school communities coming together with empathy, defiance and standing up for what’s right to keep our school libraries open and afloat.

For more information on the power of school librarians, check out this Youtube video "The Power of School Librarians" by Capstone.

Sources cited:

Capstone. (2015) The power of school librarians. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eilZJp3_h8

Chaudhary, K. (2024). How the ford government is accelerating the decline of school libraries. Canadian School Libraries Journal, 8(3), 10. https://research-ebsco-com.palomar.idm.oclc.org/linkprocessor/plink?id=9eb2c148-1820-3eed-a241-fd78d553e6a5

Martinez, T. (2024). Investing in school libraries and librarians to improve literacy outcomes. American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/investing-in-school-libraries-and-librarians-to-improve-literacy-outcomes.  

Wernick, L. (2011). The school library space is changing. American School & University, 83(9), 24–28. https://research-ebsco com.palomar.idm.oclc.org/c/3wabvt/viewer/pdf/oc6lvga25n