School librarians important, too

EDITOR:

I was surprised to hear that our school board voted to eliminate our certified librarians at our middle schools as a contingency cost saving measure. I have spent some time volunteering at the Carson Valley Middle School library and have seen first hand the value of a certified librarian for our students.

I have seen students and teachers ask for help in finding books and other media needed in the classrooms, help in finding books of a similar writing style, help in getting grades up ... the list goes on. Our librarians are instrumental in fundraising events that directly benefit the libraries, such as the used book sale taking place at Carson Valley Middle School May 16 and 23.

Multiple studies have affirmed a clear link between libraries staffed with certified librarians and student academic achievement. There is an excellent Web site www.scholastic.com/librarypublishing that clearly shows just how important a school media specialist is. Please check out this Web site and call or write our school board members and superintendent. Our librarians work hard to support our teachers, provide our schools with up-to-date resources, and encourage our students to read.

Our middle school libraries our accessible to all students in the school, are cost effective since one book can be shared by many, offers a broad range of materials, addresses a broad range of reading levels, supports reading, adds new resources throughout the school year to keep collections dynamic for our young readers, and creates a sense of ownership that is shared by the entire school. It takes a certified librarian to meet these goals. They should be the last to go.

I hope that our school board and superintendent will rethink their decision and put our children's education first.

Inge Costa

Minden