Seeking 50 state stories of library reductions- please pass the word. ..especially stories from CA/MN/DE

[Lisa Layera Brunkan]

Do we have cuts in all 50 states?

Please continue to send stories of cuts- the federal education act will begin hearings NEXT WEEK, and it's crucial to make the case that a problem exists. As a Legislative Aide put it to me yesterday, "If we don't hear from you and understand what's going on we believe that's a message that everything is ok."

Our hearts are with each of you facing these reductions, please be patient as we assess how to proceed. The administrative contacts are really important.  Thanks for spreading the word.

So far we've heard from:
INDIANA
MICHIGAN

[Vicki Builta]

Indiana is being deluged with word of possible cuts to school library programs. Some that I have heard about are the South Madison Schools- all library media staff (Pendleton, IN), Lafayette, IN- all library media staff, Perry Township Schools -elementary library media staff (Indianapolis), Decatur Township Schools -elementary library media staff (Indianapolis area), Franklin Township -library media staff (Indianapolis area). This may not be all, unfortunately.

[Lisa Layera Brunkan]

Vicki
Thank you so very much for responding. I hope the situation in Indiana is brought into the 'public eye' in the Ed Week article. If your posse out there could recommend a superintendent/principals that would be terrific to articulate that they value the programs but just can't afford to keep them. . .send it along asap!

The contact name/school/#/email would be great. We've found the easier we make the press' job the better. Thanks so much for getting that this was super important and responding!
I really appreciate you taking a moment to speak up.

Lisa

[Shauna Dalton]

Monroe County, home of Indiana University, has just announced all library media positions will be cut.

http://www.tmnews.com/stories/2010/02/15/news.252993.tms
If you can't view the page, here's the pasted copy.

[Lisa Layera Brunkan]

Shauna-
I cannot believe cuts like this would even be introduced in the IU community, I think of IU as an intellectual bastion for the region. Any community reaction?

Any chance you can post the news story?

So sorry to hear the news.
Lisa

[Doug Grostefon]

Good morning Lisa,
My name is Doug Grostefon and I am employed by Tippecanoe School Corp. in W. Lafayette/Lafayette, IN. I am the Media Specialist at Harrison H.S. and I read your articles about how you and a group of SuperMoms helped save Library Programs. We at the TSC have been notified that our 23 member Media Dept. is in danger of being cut and we are just devastated, to say the least. They do plan on keeping 1 certified Media Specialist in each of the high schools, but they want to cut the Elem and Middle and hand the jobs over to Aides or volunteers.
Vicki Builta has been advocating for us and we also have been doing everything possible to try and save our programs. If there is anything you could do to help, we would be greatly appreciative! Below is some information and contacts that may get you started. I've also attached some info that may help you understand our Media program a bit better. We intend to send this brochure to our board also.
Again, thanks for any help in this matter. You may reach me at: [e-mail]
Thank you,

Doug Grostefon M.Ed, LIS

Library, Media,Technology

Harrison High School

5701 N. Rd. 50 W.

W. Lafayette, IN 47905

[phone] ext. 3141

[e-mail]

[Doug Grostefon]

I'm sorry, I forgot to give you our contacts.
http://www.tsc.k12.in.us/index.cfm?pagetype=162&dir=2



[e-mail]



Janet Fox Elmore - President
Dann Parker - Vice President
Kathryn D. Dale - Secretary
Linda Y. Day

Randy Bond

Alan R. Kemper
Jim Slaven

[Jeffrey Hastings]

First of all, thank you, Lisa, for your tireless advocacy.

My name is Jeff Hastings and I'm one of the three remaining certified School Librarians in the Howell Public Schools system in Howell, Michigan and all of us are on the proposed cut list for next school year. It's a real heartbreaker because I feel that we're more needed than ever before in support of both general literacy and information literacy. These are dire times in this state, and perhaps cuts are inevitable, but it should also be remembered that our school libraries and the professionals that staff them facilitate the cost-effective sharing of scarce resources and the efficient use of ubiquitous ones.

But you already know all that...

Thanks for supporting school libraries, Lisa. I consider you a real hero.

Jeff

My Highlander Way Library website is available at:
http://www.idiotica.com/cranium/librarysite/content/library.html

Our local press can be found at:
http://www.livingstondaily.com/

For our board of education contacts, visit:
http://www.howellschools.com/board_members.cfm

[Laura Brooks]

Hi Lisa,

Programs are being cut in record numbers in the Southeast Michigan (Detroit) area. Administrators are not even waiting until next year, Librarians in some districts have been let go as of February 1st. The belief is that the library media centers can be run effectively with volunteers. Little do they know...

Laura Brooks
Library Media Specialist
Ridge Wood Elementary
Northville, MI
[e-mail]

[Lisa Layera Brunkan]

Laura-
Can you paint a picture of what these cuts mean through a socio-economic lens? Has their been any community reaction?

Lisa

[Susie Highley]

Our district, MSD Warren Township in Indianapolis, is proposing to cut 5-7 of our 11 media specialists and close 2 of our 16 schools. Somehow, they say the media specialist jobs will save them $400,000-$600,000, which isn't right anyway, because they are not eliminating our salaries, they are cutting the salaries of the people with less experience who will be "bumped out" when we lose our position. They even had the nerve to mention, that as far as the impact on students goes, "Some services provided by media specialists will not be recovered".

Our superintendent is Dr. Peggy Hinckley 975 N. Post Road, Indianapolis, IN 46219
[e-mail]

Other administrators at that address: Tony Burchett, Assistant Superintendent to the Superintendent 6-Adult
[e-mail]

Dena Cushenberry, Assistant to the Superintendent PreK-5
[e-mail]

Mike Wallpe, Associate Superintendent of School Improvement
[e-mail]

Our School Board (can write to them at district address, and I have emails for some of them)
Jay Wise [e-mail]
Howard Dorsey [e-mail]
Robert Schreiber [e-mail]
Luther Robinson [e-mail]
Sue Switzer [e-mail]
Ruth Ann Walker (not sure of email, rwalker is NOT her email)
Julie French [e-mail]

[Jeffrey Hastings]

More on Michigan Malaise from the MEA Voice, February, 2010 issue which asks "What's Happening to Our School Librarians?"

We're vanishing; I'm one of 'em.

http://bit.ly/91c4Bq

[Sandra]

Hello,

My principal is planning to replace me with a Teacher Assistant. Apparently she thinks that an assistant can do the job. As of today, I have been told to train a TA. She also thinks that the information literacy skills that I teach can and should be taught by classroom teachers, but when I started here that apparently had not been done because the students even in the highest grade could not tell me the author of their favorite books.