Raising Awareness of the Value of School Library Services and Teacher-Librarians (And Furthermore‪)‬

Students visit their school library an estimated 1.5 billion times during the school year, and research conducted in 12 states shows a direct link between good school libraries and higher student test scores (librarypublishing.scholastic.com). Libraries are among the most effective of all public services, serving more than two thirds of the public with less than 2% of all tax dollars. But library funding cuts have topped $111.2 million in the past 18 months, including the elimination of all public library service in Salinas, CA; the closure of two library branches in Erie County, PA; and the reduction in operating hours at all public libraries in Spokane, WA. Yet, Americans spend seven times as much money on home video games as they do on school library materials. Recognizing the need to promote public awareness of the critical role that libraries play in the lives of people of all ages and to sustain library funding and services, the American Library Association (ALA) launched the Campaign to Save America's Libraries.