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

[Lisa Layera Brunkan]

Where are you located? Have you seen this twitter petition to Obama? Can you mobilize your community?

http://act.ly/1rb

[Doug Grostefon]

Thank you so very much, Lisa for your efforts concerning this travesty.

On Friday, March 5th, The Tippecanoe School Corporation in Lafayette, IN. either displaced or laid off 33% of the teaching staff including the dismantlement of our Media Department. 80% of us were cut which consists of 19 of 24 Media Specialists. The remaining 5 senior librarians must now handle at least 4 schools at the middle and secondary levels and in the elementary they will oversee 5 schools. The Libraries will now be "babysat" by what the corporation has dubbed "literacy aides". These aides will actually be substitute teachers or anyone else who may apply and the only qualification is a high school diploma. They will only work 29 hours a week and and I suppose the remainder of the day, the libraries in all 19 schools will be closed. What a sad, sad state of affairs! They might as well just close the libraries and merely divvy up all the books and send them to classrooms.
Again, thank you for your concern and hopefully someone who has authority may sit up and take notice!
Sincerely, Doug Grostefon

[Linda Quaas]

I am the only media specialist for our rural school district in MN and oversee 4 school libraries. I teach all classes in the elem school (1st-5th) as a specialist that provides prep time for teachers (a new change this yr when they let go of the tech teacher). THe media para's (aides) at each school had their hours cut back, so I cover for them each morning from 7:30- 10:00 at the high school and middle school (and end up doing their job) before going to the elem school to teach media skills for the reat of each day.

I worry constantly about being cut and the district using the media paras to run the libraries. Our district budget was cut drastically last year and there were many cuts, but I think I kept my job due to the change to specialist. I don't know what will happen next year, but I am actually relieved to be on a fixed schedule covering prep time at the elem school (can't believe I'm saying that!) because I have some job security that way. Others tell me I shouldn't worry because I am the only LMS in the district and they wouldn't cut me, but as evident with all these posts, that is definitely possible!

It truly is a sad state of affairs for our profession and the students we serve.

[Diana Butcher]

California's school libraries have been impacted for many years. After the School Library grant funds were folded into district block grants, funds again were hard to get. Now the education funding crunch is manifesting itself in cuts to the typical programs that have been traditionally hit in hard times. This includes not only libraries, but nurses, the arts and counselors. Its no different this time.
Remember however, that California school librarians are not only responsible for the library programs but are also responsible for the textbook process. This additional responsibility alone has severely impacted the usual programs and instruction that librarians provide. Now we are seeing districts cut their librarians and their clerks too (if the library is lucky enough to have clerks!). In my district, I am serving two high schools (half time at each) - both with enrollments over 1800. I believe that the situation in California is so dire that we will eventually see the disappearance of the school librarian all together and the libraries will be staffed by clerks and volunteers or closed down completely with reliance on the local public library. This will have implications most definitely in the future, as students no longer have that in-house reading and instructional support for their studies or the very essential reading support at all levels. Scores will go down even further and we will lose highly trained and effective people who have really made an impact in the schools that they serve. The cuts are happening all over California.