an endangered species

I have an issue with the “literacy” movement. We are bombarded with statistics about how students are lacking in literacy skills and how boys especially are falling behind. At the same time, school boards across the country are cutting back on teacher-librarians and school library services. And while school libraries and teacher-librarians are becoming an endangered species, the “literacy” movement is alive and well.

You may think that the literacy movement and the quest for more teacher-librarians is the same thing but you are wrong. The one eats the funds for the other. And the one sucks the life out of the other. The problem with the literacy movement is that it reduces reading and books to a skill that needs to be learned instead of a forbidden pleasure that should be savoured. In other words, the literacy movement thinks of books and reading as broccoli while the teacher-librarian movement sees it as chocolate.

I’ll take chocolate any day.

Are you interested finding out more about teacher-librarians and school libraries? Here are some sites that may be of interest:

http://www.ontarioschoollibraries.ca/

http://www.peopleforeducation.com/librarycoalition/

Author: Marsha

I write historical fiction, mostly from the perspective of young people who are thrust in the midst of war.

9 thoughts on “an endangered species”

  1. I think another problem schools have is allocating too much of their funds towards computers. I’m talking about elementary schools, though, not high schools. Kids under the age of 10 do *NOT* need to be on a computer. When I see ten computers in a kindergarten class, I just want to scream. What a waste of money! Money that could be spent on books and teacher librarians.

  2. Library students…

    I’m going to pass these links on to Eric, who is just finishing up his first term in the library technology course here in Winnipeg. They train 30 students every two years, and they don’t have that many students who don’t find jobs. Some are in schools, but many are in government or corporations.

    I’m hoping he’ll be able to bring this up in a class discussion or something!

    Julie

      1. Re: Library students…

        I’ve passed that offer on to him, and I’ll be sure to let you know if he needs anything (or any info)!

        Julie

  3. I think another problem schools have is allocating too much of their funds towards computers. I’m talking about elementary schools, though, not high schools. Kids under the age of 10 do *NOT* need to be on a computer. When I see ten computers in a kindergarten class, I just want to scream. What a waste of money! Money that could be spent on books and teacher librarians.

    1. Hi Maggie,

      I agree! They go obsolete so quickly too. Another problem is the money spent on leveled readers in each class. That’s money that could be spent on good library books for the whole school instead.

  4. Library students…

    I’m going to pass these links on to Eric, who is just finishing up his first term in the library technology course here in Winnipeg. They train 30 students every two years, and they don’t have that many students who don’t find jobs. Some are in schools, but many are in government or corporations.

    I’m hoping he’ll be able to bring this up in a class discussion or something!

    Julie

      1. Re: Library students…

        I’ve passed that offer on to him, and I’ll be sure to let you know if he needs anything (or any info)!

        Julie

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