School Librarians Impact Achievement!

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School Librarians Impact Achievement!

• Audrey Church
• Coordinator, School Library Media Program,
  Longwood University

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Traditional School Libraries

• Print rich
• Print and AV oriented
• Centralized (one physical location)
• Rigidly scheduled
• Single person staff
• Quiet, almost-empty places

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Libraries of Yesteryear
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And, perhaps you have met one of
these ladies?
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School Libraries of Today

• Information rich in every format
• Multiple technologies
• Centralized and decentralized simultaneously
• Flexibly scheduled
• Professional and technical staff
• Busy, bustling learning laboratories

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Todays School Librarian

• Library Media Specialist
• Library Information Specialist
• Teacher Librarian
• Agent of Academic Achievement

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The Research To Back It Up

• Since 2000
• At least 5 teams of researchers (Baughman,
  Baumbach, Burgin, Lance, and Smith)
• At least 12 U.S. states (MA, FL, NC, CO, PA, AK,
  IA, MI, NM, OR, MN, TX)
• Data on over 4,000 schoolsall levels, all
  sizesand their communities
• Building-level summary test scores representing
  over 1 million students

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Key Research Findings

• Links between
• Academic achievement (represented by scores on
  standards-based state tests of reading/language
  arts skills) and
• Library staffing levels, librarian activities,
  collection size, technology integration, library
  usage
• Schools with stronger school library programs
  average 10-20 higher test scores

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More Findings

• Controlling for key school and community
  differences, library still explains 3-8 of test
  score variation
• Poverty explains away other school and community
  differenceslike the teacher-pupil ratio, per
  pupil spending, and parents educationbut not
  the impact of school libraries

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Reading/Language Arts test scores are higher in
schools

• Which have a school library staffed by a licensed
  librarian and assisted by adequate staff
• In which the library has a strong collection and
  adequate funding
• In which the librarian collaborates with
  teachers, teaches information literacy skills,
  provides in service for teachers in information
  technology
• In which library resources are available outside
  of library walls via computer networks.

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Most Recently Completed StudyOhio, 2004

• Student Learning through Ohio School Libraries,
  Todd and Kuhlthau
• Sought to understand how students benefit from
  school libraries, to examine the
  multi-dimensional dynamics of student learning
  through effective school libraries, from the
  perspective of students
• Findings show that effective school libraries are
  dynamic agents of learning

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Todays School Librarian Impacts Academic
Achievement!

• And it is what he/she does that makes the
  difference

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When the library media specialist takes an
active role in the instructional program of the
school as
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• A school leader
• A program administrator
• An information navigator
• A technology facilitator
• A collaborative teacher and learner

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An information navigator

• Selects print, nonprint, and electronic resources
  to support curriculum and standards
• Teaches others how to be information literateto
  recognize a need for information and to access,
  evaluate, and use information in critical
  thinking and problem solving

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Libraries are busy, bustling, learning
laboratories
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A technology facilitator

• Selects licensed databases (InfoTrac, SIRS,
  EBSCOHost) and authoritative free Web sites
• Bridges the gap between students and teachers,
  online information, and curriculum and instruction

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A collaborative teacher and learner

• A teacher of students who collaborates with
  classroom teachers in design and delivery of
  instruction
• A teacher of other teachers who creates more
  self-reliant users of information resources and
  technology

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Student achievement is higher!

• When library media specialists take an active
  role in curriculum and instruction
• When library media specialists teach information
  literacy skills
• When teachers and library media specialists
  collaborate

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Todays School Libraries

• School library media programsdynamic,
  enthusiastic, and student-centered
• Studentsindependent, information-literate,
  lifelong learners
• School librariansinformation specialists who are
  collaborative, active instructional partners

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Dr. Keith Lance, Director, Library Research
ServiceJune 4, 2002 White House Conference on
School Libraries

• Research shows quite conclusively that school
  libraries are a powerful force in the lives of
  Americas children. The school library is one of
  the few factors whose contribution to academic
  achievement has been documented empirically, and
  it is a contribution that cannot be explained
  away by other powerful influences on student
  performance. So, if you want to invest in a
  research-based strategy for helping to insure
  that No Child Is Left Behind in your school, this
  is it!

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• School libraries help teachers teach and
  children learnchildren and teachers need library
  resourcesespecially booksand the expertise of a
  librarian to succeed. Books, information
  technology, and school librarians who are part of
  the schools professional team are basic
  ingredients for student achievement.

First Lady Laura Bush, June 4, 2002,
White
House Conference on School Libraries
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School Librarians Impact Academic Achievement!
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Resources

• American Association of School Librarians.
  (1998). Information Power Building Partnerships
  for Learning. Chicago American Library
  Association.
• Lance, K. C. (2003). 5 Roles for Empowering
  School Librarians. Retrieved March 8, 2004 from
  http//www.lrs.org/documents/lmcstudies/5roles.pdf
  
• Loertscher, D. V. Achterman, D. (2002).
  Increasing Academic Achievement through the
  Library Media Center. San Jose, CA HiWillow.
• White House Conference on School Libraries.
  Retrieved March 16, 2004 from http//www.imls.gov/
  pubs/whitehouse0602/whitehouse.htm

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Graphics from

• 1907 ASU Library Retrieved March 8, 2004 from
  http//www.asu.edu/lib/archives/asustory/images/01
  research.jpg
• 1931 Library Retrieved March 8, 2004 from
  http//dovergrammar.co.uk/archives/old-pharos/pict
  ures/1931library.jpg
• Animation Factory. Rebrieved March 16, 2004 from
  http//www.animationfactory.com/free/people_a_l/li
  brarian_variant_page_librarian_shhh_quiet_please.h
  tml
• Library at The Childrens School. Retrieved
  October 15, 2002 from http//tcslj.org/resource/li
  brary/
• Scenes from the Chico High School Library.
  Retrieved March 16, 2004 from http//dewey.chs.chi
  co.k12.ca.us/scenes11-00.html
• Stratford Library Association, Our buildings
  history. Retrieved March 15, 2004 from
  http//www.stratford.lib.ct.us/building.html
• Students and Teachers Using the Portable Lab.
  Retrieved March 16, 2004 from http//www.newpaltz.
  k12.ny.us/local/duzine/Teachers/jpallus/computer_p
  ictures.htm
• UNI Library Retrieved March 8, 2004
  http//www.library.uni.edu/speccoll/images/lh1-14.
  jpg
•  Wheatland Elementary School Retrieved March 8,
  2004 from http//www.wheatland.k12.ca.us/Old20Web
  20Stuff/wesl.h1.jpg

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Audrey ChurchCoordinator, School Library
Media ProgramLongwood Universityachurch_at_longwood
.eduPhone 434-395-2682