Doug Johnson

Common Sense Economy
Jan. 2005

Share everything. Robert Fulgham, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

In times of tight funding, decision-makers in schools ironically forget that libraries were invented because information resources are often scarce. Clay tablets, papyrus scrolls, vellum manuscripts, and even the printed book have all been rare, expensive to create, and unaffordable by many individuals. Humans, being the social, clever and trusting creatures that they are, figured out that information could be held in a single location and then systematically shared among a group. Libraries were born.

So why today do many educators seem to think of library media centers only in terms of costs rather than savings? Perhaps we need to remind them that LMCs help maximize the use of resources by:

1. Creating a common pool of shared materials
There is not much argument among educators today that reading ability improves when kids read more, and that readily available reading materials help make that happen. Book fairs, guided reading kits, and classroom libraries are all designed to put more books into the hands of more kids. And that’s a good thing.

When things get tight financially, however, doesn’t it make sense to go back into a sharing mode? Classroom collections can and should be drawn from strong school library collections. Besides economy, the collections can be rotated to keep reading materials fresh. The real beauty of a common collection is that materials purchased for individual units get double or triple duty: in gifted programs, ELL programs, and by students pursuing individual interests. I just despise the thought of a wonderful resource, tightly locked in a teacher’s cabinet for 90% of the year.

As Fulgham in the opening quote suggests, we should share. It is not only the moral thing to do, but a smart financial move as well. It’s cheaper to buy a book for the library and share than it is to buy one for each classroom. Duh!

2. Tracking materials
It plays to the stereotype, but yes, part of the job description of the SLMS is to make sure the “stuff” is accounted for. We do stamp/engrave/sticker, catalog, circulate and inventory common school property. We remind students (and teachers) that materials should be returned in a timely manner, especially when there is a high demand for those materials.

When materials go directly into the classroom, not only are they are far less likely to be an asset for the entire school, but they may not be available for long even for students in individual classrooms. Teachers rarely have as good a system for tracking who has what material out. When teachers change classrooms, buildings or districts, the materials often go with them. Even classroom materials, should be inventoried and tracked by the school library media center, whether they are specially purchased classroom libraries, AV resources, or equipment. When teachers retire, resign or transfer, part of the exit procedure should be a clearance from the library.

3. Selecting the most useful materials
Spending $1000 on new materials, of which only 20% are used, is no better than having spent $200. Because of training, access to reviews, knowledge of the whole school curriculum, and just plain old experience in knowing what kids like, the SLMS is very, very good at picking materials that will really be used

4. Promoting and teaching the use of materials
Like many states, Minnesota provides some common, commercial online resources to all schools. But according to the director who oversees these databases, some schools use them heavily, others very little. All schools in the state are now wired, share a common set of academic standards, and have children that are all above average. Why the difference in how much these state-provided resources are used?

While I don’t have quantitative evidence (yet), I’d be willing to bet real money that the schools that use the databases have a SLMS that is aware they are available, teaches others how to use them, and promotes their use.

No book, magazine, database, video, web page or computer program jumps off the shelf into a potential user’s face and says, “Here I am, here’s how to use me, and here’s why you should use me.” The SLMS is the voice of those resources. Educational dollars are wasted when materials remain untouched by human hands. And even sadder than the waste of money, is the loss of learning opportunities these resources could provide.

A few years ago, those of us representing libraries at a state legislative day wore buttons and carried balloons that carried Anne Herbert’s fine words: “Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.” Perhaps we should wear those buttons all the time and put a balloon on every superintendent’s and school board member’s desk.