Libraries and Student Success

Libraries and Student Success

by Karen Nicholson

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Libraries are a major component of student success.  I found it surprising in my research on this topic that it has been shown that students writing scores improved more than their reading skills when they have access to a library with a full time librarian (Kachel and Lance).  Well staffed libraries are even more important for struggling students.  They will have the most improvement if given the resources of the library and a librarian who is willing to teach them and find them reading materials they enjoy.  One of my favorite things as a middle school librarian is helping a student finding a book they enjoy.  Just last week I had a 6th grader come up to me and let me know that he was really enjoying the book I suggested.  He came back the next day, returned the book, and asked for the next one in the series.  SUCCESS!!  🎆 Now he has experienced how much fun it can be to read, and he will hopefully trust me to ask again for help to find a book in the future.  I had another student check out a book in the morning and she returned after school, triumphant, she had read the entire book that day!  (Although I wonder what her teachers reactions were to her reading throughout class.  She is a good student, so I am guessing she was already done with her class work.)  

Studies have even shown that it does not matter what the local economic situation is, having a qualified school librarian will always increase reading and writing scores (Lance and Hofschire 19).  This shows it is just as import to have qualified librarians where the districts can “afford” them and in the districts that are having major budget cuts.

It is important that schools and school librarians continue to track and study their students success as it relates to the library.  There is data out there, but we need to make sure it is current and relatable.  The librarians need to use this information to prove the incredible importance of their job for their school and community.  Self-assessments are important for so many reasons:  to make sure lessons and collections are up to date, to make sure teachers are utilizing their resources, and to make sure student scores are improving.  As Lance and Kachel pointed out in their article there is a need for more large scale studies (13).  This should be at a district-wide, state-wide and nation-wide level.  But most importantly, in my opinion, they remind us that school administrators need to discuss their support of libraries and librarians to the teachers, staff, students and parents  (13).   Their support makes a huge difference in the success of the library at that school.  I am lucky that I feel supported by the administration at my school.  They are willing to listen to me and support my needs within the school environment.

Kachel, Debra E. and Keith Curry Lance. "Librarian Required." School Library Journal, vol. 59, no. 3, Mar. 2013, p. 28. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.palomar.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=85881651&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Lance, Keith Curry and Linda Hofschire. "School Librarian Staffing Linked with Gains in Student Achievement, 2005 to 2011." Teacher Librarian, vol. 39, no. 6, Oct. 2012, pp. 15-19. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.palomar.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=82862803&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Lance, Keith Curry and Debra Kachel. "Achieving Academic Standards through the School Library Program." Teacher Librarian, vol. 40, no. 5, June 2013, pp. 8-13. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.palomar.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=88257486&site=ehost-live&scope=site.