I once had an office in a old school building.  The building housed a reading clinic, shelves of reading materials, including textbooks and skills materials, and an area for professional development.  In the 1960s, when Federal funding for school libraries became available to the school system, a new library supervisor’s desk was placed next to mine.  She was a great person, but we had little in common.  She was responsible for 35 school libraries, and I was responsible for reading in those schools.  I didn’t understand the important connection between reading skills and the practice of reading.

     One reason was that I was spoiled.  I had previously taught in a new school where a public library branch was located, and my students had access to all the new books.  Unfortunately, at the same time, my daughter attended a neighboring school where there was no public or school library.  In time, with Federal and local support, school libraries and librarians were added to all 35 schools.  Students then had access to new books and trained librarians.

     Another reason was that the school libraries were not a part of my responsibility, so I didn’t worry about or even realize that a crisis was near.  Once schools were filled with new books, funds were shifted to other areas, and school library book collections gradually aged.  The average cost of a school library book is now $18.78, and schools prior to the state financial concerns were purchasing only one-half book per student per year.  This school year will no doubt see even fewer books purchased. 

      Renewing school library book collections is not as glamorous as providing new computers.  Many educators and parents see large collections of books in their school libraries and don’t understand that most of the books no longer appeal to today’s youth, so funds once spent for books are used for other needs.

      Funds for school libraries come from state and local sources, consequently funding varies widely throughout the country.  Indiana is an example of a state that recently began providing books to school libraries.  The General Assembly appropriated $4 million for new books for the 1997-1999 school years, $6 million for 1999-2001, and $6 million for 2001-2003.  Because of funding problems, the $6 million for 2001-2003 was cut to $3 million.

    Book acquisition and circulation information was gathered in 1997 prior to the state funding, and statistics were gathered from school libraries in 1998, 2000, and 2002 as many new books appeared in school libraries..  The findings of the study follow:

• State funding for school libraries from 1998-2001 resulted in a substantial increase in book purchases and circulation.

• Book purchasing appears to have a cumulative but potentially short-lived effect on circulation: The reduced level of state funding for school libraries in 2001-2002 resulted in a decline in book purchasing.  This decline may explain the relatively small increase in circulation during the most recent school year, 2001-2002.

• The library materials program appears to be associated with a number of positive student outcomes, including increased use of library materials, increased student ownership of school libraries, higher levels of independent reading, and high reading achievement. 

     A copy of a 20-page report entitled “Improving School Libraries and Independent Reading: 1997-2002 Impact Evaluation of the K-12 School Library Printed Materials Grant” prepared by the Indiana Policy Center is available at http://mgrn.evansville.edu.

     There is a close relationship between reading and school libraries.  While it is desirable that all families have library cards and use them, subscribe to newspapers, and make

other print materials available for their children, that often doesn’t happen.  The one place where schools can count on engaging students with books is the school library.   But books must be current and appealing to ensure that students will read them.

     Reading leaders need to work hard to find common ground with school library leaders to help leverage funds for school library books, especially during these difficult financial times.  Current state financial problems will inevitable wane, and this makes it all the more urgent to be prepared for opportunities to increase access to books in school libraries.

     Access to current and interesting reading materials lies at the heart of reading achievement, which is increasingly influenced by state and local school districts that may not understand that reading and libraries are indispensable partners.  In such a situation, less aggressive reading and library leaders ensure that their areas suffer most.