WHY CARE ABOUT SCHOOL LIBRARIES? 

• School libraries are critical for student achievement 

Across the United States, research has shown that students in schools with good 

school libraries learn more, get better grades, and score higher on standardized 

test scores than their peers in schools without libraries. From Alaska to North 

Carolina, more than 60 studies have shown clear evidence of this connection 

between student achievement and the presence of school libraries with qualified 

school library media specialists. 

Lance, K. C. (2002). How school librarians leave no child behind, School Libraries in Canada, 22(2): 4-6. 

Lance, K. C. (2003). Proof of the power: Recent research on the impact of school library media programs on the academic 

achievement of U.S. public school students. Education Media and Technology Yearbook. M. A. Fitzgerald, M. Orey, & 

R.M. Branch (Eds.). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. [Originally published in October 2001 as an Eric Digest. 4 p.] 

Neuman, D. (Spring 2003). Research in school library media for the next decade: Polishing the diamond, Library Trends, 

51(4): 503-524. University of Illinois, Graduate School of Library and Information Science. 

NCES School Library Media Center Data. Publications by NCES about School Library Media Cetners and Raw Data. 

Available at: http://www.nclis.gov/statsurv/NCES/ncesslmc.html

School Library Fact Sheet. (2005). American Library Association. 

School Libraries Work! (2004). Research Foundation Paper. Scholastic Library Publishing. p. 17. 

St. Lifer, Evan (July 2002). “Mrs. Bush hosts first White House Conference on School Libraries.” School Library Journal, 

48(7): 17. 

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (March 2004). The Status of Public and Private 

School Library Media Centers in the United States: 1999-2000, NCES 2004-313. By Barbara Holton, Yupin Bae, Susan 

Baldridge, Michelle Brown, and Dan Heffron. Washington, DC. 

• School libraries have an important role in teaching 

Today’s school librarians are important instructional partners or consultants in 

supporting and expanding existing curriculum. These media specialists are 

working with teachers to change what is possible in the classroom and support 

exciting learning opportunities with books, computer resources and more. 

American Association of School Librarians and Association for Educational Communications and Technology (1998). 

Information power: Building partnerships for learning. Chicago: American Library Association. 

McCracken, A. (2001). School library media specialists’ perceptions of the practice and importance of the roles described 

in Information Power. School Library Media Research. Available at: 

http://www.ala.org/aasl/SLMR/vol4/perceptions.preceptions.html 

Neuman, D. (Spring 2003). Research in school library media for the next decade: Polishing the diamond, Library Trends, 

51(4): 503-524. University of Illinois, Graduate School of Library and Information Science. 

Putnam, E. (1996). The instructional consultant role of the elementary school library media specialist and the effects of 

program scheduling on its practice. School Library Media Quarterly, 25(1), 43-49. 

Van Deusen, J. D. (1996). The school library media specialist as a member of the teaching team: “Insider” and “outsider.” 

Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 2(3), 249-258. 

•

NCLIS 

U.S. National Commission on 

Libraries and Information Science 

Phone: (202) 606-9200 • Fax: (202) 606-9203 

E-Mail: info@"nclis.gov • Web: wwwnclis.gov 

1800 M Street. NW . Suite 350 North Tower 

Washington. DC 20036-584 I 
• School libraries are leading the way for technology use in schools 

No longer are school libraries just for books, they have become “school library 

media centers” with computer resources that enable children to engage 

meaningfully with a wide variety of information. These centers with trained staff 

support the use of electronic information resources not just in the center, but help 

to integrate these resources in classrooms and throughout the curriculum. 

Callison, D (2002). The twentieth-century school library, In Encyclopedia of Library and Information science. A. Kent & 

C. M. Hall (Eds.) New York, NY: Marcel Dekker., 71 (34): 339-370. 

Fitzgerald, M. A., Orey, O., Branch, & R. M. (Eds.) (2003). Educational Media and Technology Yearbook. Westport, CT: 

Libraries Unlimited. vol. 28. 

Hirsh, S. G. (1997). How do children find information on different types of tasks? Library Trends, 45: 725-745. University 

of Illinois, Graduate School of Library and Information Science 

Large, A. & Beheshti, J. (2000). The web as classroom resource: Reactions from user. Journal of the American Society for 

Information Science, 51(12): 1069-1080. 

Neuman, D (Spring 2003). Research in school library media for the next decade: Polishing the diamond, Library Trends, 

51(4): 503-524. University of Illinois, Graduate School of Library and Information Science. 

Neuman, D. (2004). The library media center: Touchstone for instructional design and technology in the schools. In 

Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology, 2d ed. D. H. Jonassen (Ed.) Mahwah, NJ: 

Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 

• School libraries inspire literacy 

When learners of all ages have the opportunity to read stories and explore 

information that matters to them, various forms of literacy and numeracy can 

emerge. Research has shown that school libraries have the tools to inspire literacy 

in learners of all ages. 

Behrens, S. J. (1994). A conceptual analysis and historical overview of information literacy. College & Research Libraries, 

55(4): 309-322. 

Breivik, P.S. & Senn, J.A.. (1994). Information literacy: Educating children for the 21st century. NY: Scholastic. 

Carey, J. O. (1998). Library skills, information skills, and information literacy: Implications for teaching and learning. 

School Library Media Quarterly Online: http://ala.org/aasl/SLMQ/skills.html. 

Kafai, Y. & Bates, M. (1997). Internet web-searching instruction in the elementary classroom: Building a foundation for 

information literacy. School Library Media Quarterly, 25(2): 103-111. 

McQullian, J. (1998). Literacy in crisis: False claims, real solutions. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 

• School libraries don't matter without highly qualified school 

librarians 

Research has shown that school libraries staffed by qualified library media 

specialists are needed to have a positive impact on student academic achievement.