Little, Brown Replaces Benedict Covers and Dearborn Schools Replace Librarians

Two quick tidbits from School Library Journal's Extra Helping today. First, from Rocco Staino (and quoting a number of bloggers):

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is changing the covers on Trenton Lee Stewart’s "Mysterious Benedict Society" series, following complaints that the character Sticky Washington, described as having light brown skin, appears on all three covers as white.

via www.schoollibraryjournal.com

And, from Lauren Barack:

Students in Dearborn, MI, may be seeing their parents in the school library more often than the librarian. It’s a scenario set to happen in Dearborn Public Schools as budget cuts take effect next month and 13 media specialists lose their positions (one through retirement), leaving just eight librarians to run the 32 K–12 school libraries, says David Mustonen, communications coordinator for Dearborn Public Schools.

via www.schoollibraryjournal.com

I'm all for parents volunteering in school libraries. But replacing qualified librarians with parent volunteers is a disservice to students. At least replacing the Mysterious Benedict Society covers is a positive thing... 

Comments

[Cynthia Leitich Smith]

I'm not surprised about the Little, Brown cover change. They have one of the most talented, successful, and diverse staffs in all of big-house publishing. I wish I were surprised by the librarian cutbacks. The cynic in me wonders how many coach positions were cut. Not that physical education isn't important, but....

[susan]

Our school districts in Illinois are also suffering from state level budget cuts. It isn't good news for the Dearborn schools, but none of the choices available to a school district with budget cuts is good. The other choices are things like eliminating art and music programs, eliminating athletic programs, increasing class size, decreasing funding to special needs students or delaying needed building maintenance. I'm sure nobody on that school board thinks eliminating librarians is a good choice, but I don't think choosing any of the alternatives would be applauded either.

Given the portion of a school district's budget that is allocated to teacher salaries (generally upwards of 75%) and the unwillingness of many teachers' unions to accept reductions in either salary or benefits despite major budget shortfalls, it is very easy to criticize the decisions of school boards. It is much harder to come up with a more palatable solution.

[Wendy]

At least they still HAVE libraries, and think it's important to have people staffing them? I hear of too many schools where the libraries are just sort of... there. The teachers are in charge of checking out books during class periods.

[Gregory K.]

As a parent volunteer who's run a library for years now, I completely agree with you - we are NOT a good replacement. We're a "well, it's better than no one" solution. Sigh.

[Jen Robinson]

Thanks for the comments, all. Clearly this library thing is a hot button issue. Cynthia, I suspect that you're right about the relative prioritization of librarians vs. coaches (but you won't likely see the school districts talking publicly about that).

Susan, thanks for taking time to share such detailed thoughts. I do agree that it's a hard issue, and that many schools are doing their best. But it still makes me so sad to think of kids growing up without regular access to a school librarian. My elementary school library had a huge and lasting impact on me, and I was already a reader. Imagine all of the kids out there who had the perfect book, the one that made them a reader, handed to them by their school librarian. It's a tough issue.

Wendy, of course you're right that it's better to have a library staffed by a parent than some sort of vacant room (and don't even get me started on the schools these days that have libraries without any books in them). But still, as Greg said, parent volunteers can only do so much. They aren't trained as librarians. They aren't going to be as able to put that right book into each kid's hands...

I look at the blogs of the school librarians out there, and I see how much time they put into reading and selecting books, and I want there to be more of them, not fewer.

Ah well, kudos to SLJ for writing about these things.

[PJ Hoover]

I love volunteering at my kid's library, but I'm not a good substitute for the professionals. I can shelve books and check them in, but it stops there. I do tend to think cuts could have been found elsewhere.
Sigh.

[Paige Y.]

There is so much that librarians do that volunteers quite frankly cannot do. Who is going to design and teach lessons on research skills? Who is going to do booktalks to classes -- they can take hours to create (not including the time spent reading the books). Who is going to order books in a responsible matter, and when books get challenged, who is going to defend them? Who is going to work with teachers, finding resources that will meet their needs in the classroom? It just breaks my heart every times this happens.

[Jen Robinson]

Exactly, Tricia. Sigh! (But good for you, volunteering in the library).

And Paige, those are all excellent questions, with no good answers. These things break my heart, too. Even though this has happened in other places, I personally want to draw attention to it every time. Because news like this deserves to be mourned.

[Terry Doherty]

Wow, every time it seems we're moving forward, there is a "thud" in the room. I'll agree with the others that HAVING a library is better than shuttering its doors. Maybe Dearborn will be lucky and there will be some folks with a little library experience - or avid kidlit readers - who volunteer!

[Christine M]

They removed the elementary school librarians from the 16 k-5 schools in our district this year. They are relying on parents and aides. I don't think it's enough. At the same time they are making a big push for literacy in the early grades (which of course is great - but would be better if they still had librarians!)

And I'm glad that Benedict Society is getting a new cover (I hope that doesn't mean my kids think we have to buy the books all over again.)

[Jen Robinson]

That would be great, Terry. Maybe they'll have volunteers who read KidLit blogs, and that will help. But it still won't be the same as having real librarians...

Christine, I'm sorry you've already gone through this in your town. I agree - it's completely counter-productive to make a push for increased literacy, while removing librarians. Sigh! But yes, at least the Benedict covers are good news. I don't think I'd buy the books again b/c of the cover change, but I think I'd point it out...

[alisonwonderland]

Thanks for the news. I've shared your post via Facebook. The librarian problem is pervasive!

[Jen Robinson]

Thanks for sharing this, Alison. I agree - the problem is pervasive, and the more we spread the word that it is a problem, the better.

[Kristi]

Wow - just 8 librarians for 32 schools sounds insane to me. All of the school library downsizing that's been going on really saddens me - I have such good memories of my school libraries when I was a child and teen.

[caroline rose]

Glad to hear about the cover change. I have to say, when I read THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY, I was confused trying to connect characters to their pictures on the cover.

So sad to hear about the MI budget cuts. As wonderful as parent-volunteers are, it isn't the same. How will these libraries function?

[Jen Robinson]

I feel exactly the same way, Kristi. It's very sad.

Caroline Rose, I don't know how those libraries are going to function. Better than if there were no libraries, of course. But still ... it won't be the same as having librarians there.

[aquafortis]

That's really good news about the cover change. That was one especially annoying because they easily COULD have done it right in the first place and had it right inside the book. Anyway, better late than never, I guess.

The library issue...I suppose just having staff of ANY kind is a good thing. I keep thinking with disbelief about the school district in Folsom that closed all of its libraries.

[Jen Robinson]

I agree on both points, Sarah. The Folsom thing was very frustrating. I'm going to keep pointing out these attacks on libraries whenever I run across them - it's a small thing (to talk about it), but better than nothing.