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author Tuck, Kathy D.
Holmes, Dwight R.
author_facet Tuck, Kathy D.
Holmes, Dwight R.
Tuck, Kathy D.
Holmes, Dwight R.
collection Education Resources Information Center
contents Library/Media Centers in U.S. Public Schools: Growth, Staffing, and Resources. Full Report Tuck, Kathy D. Holmes, Dwight R. Public Schools Media Specialists Learning Resources Centers School Libraries Library Development Library Personnel Staff Utilization Educational Resources Trend Analysis Poverty Socioeconomic Status Community Characteristics Ethnicity Volunteers Qualifications Library Automation Library Materials Workstations Electronic Libraries Online Systems Expenditures Use Studies Access to Information Educational Policy Statistical Distributions Elementary Secondary Education Minority Group Students National Surveys At the request of New Business Item: 89 (NBI: 89) adopted at the 2015 NEA Representative Assembly, this study examines the extent to which students have access to public school library/media centers with qualified staff and up-to-date resources. The study explores trends in library/media center openings and closings as well as staffing patterns for librarians/media specialists and support staff across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. In addition, student access to library/media centers, to staff, and to resources are examined by school characteristics including grade/school level, poverty level, ethnic minority status, and on the type of community in which a school is located (i.e., inner city, suburban, small town, or rural). The statistical trends found in this study are presented and discussed within the context of other current and past research studies conducted on the accessibility and quality of public school library/media centers and on their impact on students and on student achievement levels. All these findings are discussed further within the context of education policy implications. Results of the study indicate that although enrollment in public school students has steadily climbed over the past decade, public school library/media centers have not kept up with the pace of students and schools in terms of growth, staffing, and resources. The overall number of public schools with library/media centers is up only slightly from a decade ago and the number of professional and support staff working in school library/media centers has been in continuous decline since peaking in 2007 prior to the Great Economic Recession. Another sharp decline in library/media center staff was noted in 2011 after American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds ended. Increases in student enrollment and more school openings in the wake of declining economic resources have resulted in shortages and disparities in students' access to staff, books, and other public school library/media center resources. As this study clearly shows, all students have experienced losses but those students most dependent on resources have experienced the greatest losses. This study shows that, even amongst the poorest schools losses in services have not occurred uniformly and that ethnic minority status has been a strong mediating factor. [For "Library/Media Centers in U.S. Public Schools: Growth, Staffing, and Resources. Executive Summary," see ED581060.]
format Recurso educativo Open Access
id eric_ED581061
institution ERIC Institute of Education Sciences
language en
publishDate 2016
record_format eric
spellingShingle Library/Media Centers in U.S. Public Schools: Growth, Staffing, and Resources. Full Report
Tuck, Kathy D.
Holmes, Dwight R.
Public Schools
Media Specialists
Learning Resources Centers
School Libraries
Library Development
Library Personnel
Staff Utilization
Educational Resources
Trend Analysis
Poverty
Socioeconomic Status
Community Characteristics
Ethnicity
Volunteers
Qualifications
Library Automation
Library Materials
Workstations
Electronic Libraries
Online Systems
Expenditures
Use Studies
Access to Information
Educational Policy
Statistical Distributions
Elementary Secondary Education
Minority Group Students
National Surveys
Library/Media Centers in U.S. Public Schools: Growth, Staffing, and Resources. Full Report Tuck, Kathy D. Holmes, Dwight R. Public Schools Media Specialists Learning Resources Centers School Libraries Library Development Library Personnel Staff Utilization Educational Resources Trend Analysis Poverty Socioeconomic Status Community Characteristics Ethnicity Volunteers Qualifications Library Automation Library Materials Workstations Electronic Libraries Online Systems Expenditures Use Studies Access to Information Educational Policy Statistical Distributions Elementary Secondary Education Minority Group Students National Surveys At the request of New Business Item: 89 (NBI: 89) adopted at the 2015 NEA Representative Assembly, this study examines the extent to which students have access to public school library/media centers with qualified staff and up-to-date resources. The study explores trends in library/media center openings and closings as well as staffing patterns for librarians/media specialists and support staff across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. In addition, student access to library/media centers, to staff, and to resources are examined by school characteristics including grade/school level, poverty level, ethnic minority status, and on the type of community in which a school is located (i.e., inner city, suburban, small town, or rural). The statistical trends found in this study are presented and discussed within the context of other current and past research studies conducted on the accessibility and quality of public school library/media centers and on their impact on students and on student achievement levels. All these findings are discussed further within the context of education policy implications. Results of the study indicate that although enrollment in public school students has steadily climbed over the past decade, public school library/media centers have not kept up with the pace of students and schools in terms of growth, staffing, and resources. The overall number of public schools with library/media centers is up only slightly from a decade ago and the number of professional and support staff working in school library/media centers has been in continuous decline since peaking in 2007 prior to the Great Economic Recession. Another sharp decline in library/media center staff was noted in 2011 after American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds ended. Increases in student enrollment and more school openings in the wake of declining economic resources have resulted in shortages and disparities in students' access to staff, books, and other public school library/media center resources. As this study clearly shows, all students have experienced losses but those students most dependent on resources have experienced the greatest losses. This study shows that, even amongst the poorest schools losses in services have not occurred uniformly and that ethnic minority status has been a strong mediating factor. [For "Library/Media Centers in U.S. Public Schools: Growth, Staffing, and Resources. Executive Summary," see ED581060.]
title Library/Media Centers in U.S. Public Schools: Growth, Staffing, and Resources. Full Report
topic Public Schools
Media Specialists
Learning Resources Centers
School Libraries
Library Development
Library Personnel
Staff Utilization
Educational Resources
Trend Analysis
Poverty
Socioeconomic Status
Community Characteristics
Ethnicity
Volunteers
Qualifications
Library Automation
Library Materials
Workstations
Electronic Libraries
Online Systems
Expenditures
Use Studies
Access to Information
Educational Policy
Statistical Distributions
Elementary Secondary Education
Minority Group Students
National Surveys
url https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED581061