[CALIBK12] Lack of librarians, low reading scores

[Stephen Krashen]

Sent to the San Diego Union-Tribune, July 8, 2009

Missing from "Retired school librarian fears unhappy ending for profession," (July 7) is the fact that research consistently shows that better school libraries are related to better reading achievement. The crucial factors: book collections, amount of staffing, and the presence of a credentialed librarian. 

California's libraries are among the most under-financed in the nation, and even before the recent flurry of budget cuts, California had the worst ratio of school librarians to students among all the states in the nation, about one librarian for every 4500 students, compared to the national average of one for every one thousand.  It is no surprise that California’s reading scores are among the lowest in the nation.

The state continues to finance budget items that don't help anybody, such as standardized testing far beyond what is required or necessary. They are apparently more interested in measuring the problem than solving it.

Stephen Krashen