The Pennsylvania School Librarians Association (PSLA) and EveryLibrary are partnering on an energetic advocacy campaign to retain and restore school librarian positions in Pennsylvania schools, especially in Philadelphia. On January 24, they hosted a “Rally to Restore Philadelphia School Librarians“ … Continue reading →

In Library Journal’s Winter 2019 issue, they published my annual article, America’s Star Libraries 2019: LJ Index of Public Library Service. In the 12th edition of Star Libraries, a new (sixth) statistic–Wifi sessions per capita–was added to the LJ Index. … Continue reading →

On January 3, 2020, School Library Journal published a no-holds-barred article on the role of school boards in addressing school library staffing issues. In particular, the article addresses how–and how not–to advocate for school librarian jobs when job cuts are … Continue reading →

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) recently released a 2019 update of its Position Statement on School Library Scheduling. The lone item listed as Recommended Reading on this topic is Debra E. Kachel’s and my March 2018 Phi Delta … Continue reading →

I am very honored indeed to be the Fall 2019 recipient of the Crystal Honor Award of the Association of Illinois School Library Educators (AISLE). According to the AISLE website, special honor awards are designed to honor and recognize individuals … Continue reading →

The New York State Department of Education’s Northeast Comprehensive Center has updated its summary of school library research. Three publications in which I’ve been involved in the 2010s are cited specifically. On page 2: How Pennsylvania School Libraries Pay Off: … Continue reading →

In her September 24, 2019, Information Today column–titled The Decline and Potential Regrowth of the School Library–Carilee Christou cited Debra Kachel’s and my March 2018 Phi Delta Kappan article, Why school librarians matter: what years of research tell us: “Since … Continue reading →

Seattle-based freelance journalist Hallie Golden recently interviewed Debra E. Kachel of Antioch University Seattle and me about our research on the apparent decline and possible evolution of school librarianship. Those interviews are quoted at length in her September 4, 2019, … Continue reading →

On All Sides with Ann Fisher, on August 29, 2019, WOSU Radio presented a 45 minute discussion, now available as an archived podcast, called The Decline of School Libraries. The participants included: Liz Deskins, former school librarian for 30 years, … Continue reading →

On August 8, 2019, Chalkbeat‘s Koby Levin, reported on the losses of school librarians in Michigan over recent years and efforts to reverse those losses. The article references the school library impact studies that provide evidence of the value of … Continue reading →