Members of the Indiana General Assembly Visit School Libraries    

by Jack Humphrey

      A middle school reading program not only features direct instruction in comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary but also provides encouragement and conditions for students to practice their reading.  Obviously, school libraries and reading are indispensable partners.  We cannot separate one from the other.

      The school library is not the only place that provides access to books.  Teachers should make books available in classrooms, families should provide books of interest to their children, and public libraries are open when school is not in session.  Yet, even after acknowledging the importance of each of these places, the school library is the most important location for connecting students with books and other print materials.

      During the past few years, the Indiana General Assembly funded the acquisition of over a million new books for Indiana’s school libraries.  This has resulted in a dramatic increase in reading among students.

      The $14 million appropriated for new books for the 1997 to 2002 school years is a major investment by the Indiana General Assembly.  What are the results?  Are students reading the books?  Is circulation increasing?  Questions such as these must be on the minds of legislators, especially in these times of decreasing state resources.

            Indiana’s representatives and senators have visited school libraries all over the state.  They have found overwhelming evidence that the new books have made a difference in providing students with access to useful books.  By adding new books, school libraries have been able to discard old books that have not been checked out by students for many years.  Result: Students are reading and enjoying new, exciting, and interesting books and in the process are reinforcing and advancing their reading skills.

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