Room for Debate: Are School Librarians Expendable?
The New York Times “Room for Debate” series often features smart commentary on genuinely interesting issues. This recent edition is no exception:
Room for Debate: Are School Librarians Expendable?
The authors raise a number of important points:
- How can we prevent libraries from being undervalued when their true value is so difficult to measure?
- Can some of librarians’ responsibilities be effectively shifted onto classroom teachers?
- To what extent are school principals constrained such that they have no choice but to cut librarians?
- How can schools partner with public libraries to make better use of the resources of both?
- How can librarians change their own roles to become more relevant in our digital age?
Do any of the featured authors hit the nail on the head or really miss the point? Also, I wonder about the effects on colleges if K-12 schools cut librarians. Will some of their savings be externalized as costs to post-secondary institutions whose librarians must assist an increasingly research-illiterate student body?
Good point. I also feel that information literacy is becoming more essential for young children and teens in a way that it wasn’t before. Even as recently as 10 years ago, we could say that everything on the internet was questionable. There’s a lot more to learn now about evaluating information. It doesn’t have to be a school librarian, but somebody needs to teach this.
I agree that information literacy is becoming more important and that learning how to evaluate and critique online resources should be incorporated into the school curriculum. It is also important for students to learn the proper way to cite online sources. But, I think there is also value in the physical space of a library. The library can provide a safe space for students to learn. A librarian is essential to creating a space where students can feel comfortable to read freely, look up information on the internet, create, design, learn more about an area of interest or even pursue a hobby. It is the responsibility of librarians to consider how they can be relevant and helpful to the student body they are working with. Teaching information literacy skills, creating a safe place to make mistakes and learn and aiding student learning in unique ways is irreplaceable. Librarians are redefining their roles in school, but are no less valuable than they were in the past.