School Librarians play a crucial role in supporting the reading, learning and 21st Century skills of their students. Each school day when the 3:00 or 3:30 PM bell rings, the local public library takes on that challenge. School and public librarians need all the help they can to make their case for sufficient resources in support of their library program. For the last 4 years Scholastic has been updating and publishing School Libraries Work!, the research that proves the school library positively affects student achievement. Since 2004 more than 200,000 copies have been distributed. I realize they could have/should have titled this School and Public Libraries Work! The downloadable 24 page pdf document is filled with the results of research from 19 states and 1 province. This booklet can provide the backbone for your arguments in support of additional resources that will make a difference for your students. In this environment that requires that funded programs must be “research based”, this research is your lifeline. Don’t just talk – back it up with proof. The document is here. If you need multiple copies, call Scholastic and get some more. 1-800-621-1115.
Tags: library 2.0, public library, Scholastic, school library
