Primary Source Acting Director's Message -- August 2010
August 19, 2010
 In my son’s personal archives is a school library license, a tiny cardboard rectangle that states
that the bearer “knows how to use the library carefully and courteously and is welcome to be there.”
David received his ‘license to learn’ from Bernice Williams, the school librarian at Barcroft
Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia, back in 1984 when he was just nine years old. His elementary
school experience included regular library visits to study the Dewey Decimal system, conduct research as
a cub reporter on the “Barcroft Newsbag,” and receive Mrs. Williams’ helpful advice and
guidance on all his subjects.
When he entered H B. Woodlawn Secondary Program in Arlington, Virginia,
in the seventh grade, school librarian Judy Mayeux joined the ranks of MIP (most important
people) in David’s education. “You could ask her anything,” he says about this
universally-beloved member of the Woodlawn faculty. She fostered David’s love of learning and
encouraged him to apply for a summer job at the Arlington Central Library. In high school, he
worked in the county library’s talking book program for the blind and manned the central library’s
reference desk during summers and on weekends. David’s information-seeking and information-finding
skills, fostered at the school and public libraries, were complemented by his passion for geography
and his acumen with foreign languages. Today, he uses this portfolio of skills (fully supplemented
with a raft of more recently-acquired digital competencies) as an advanced information specialist,
cataloguing and digitizing maps and atlases from around the world. He absolutely loves his job.
I’m reminded of my son’s school library experience because it’s August and ‘back
to school’ time. Just as school librarians played pivotal roles in my son’s education, today’s
school librarians are indispensable resources for students, teachers, and parents. They hone young
people’s reading abilities and instill an appreciation for books. They serve as invaluable partners
to teachers and school administrators, working to integrate and provide resources across the entire
curriculum. In today’s media- and information-rich global knowledge society, it’s not only about the
Dewey Decimal system: today’s school librarians are the experts in the all-important 21st century skills
of information, media, and digital literacy. They help students and teachers navigate the full spectrum
of printed, online, and digital resources, teach students how to find, analyze, and evaluate trusted
sources of information regardless of media, and move fluidly across disciplines and subjects.
Many of today’s school libraries are sophisticated learning environments that foster the knowledge-seeking,
knowledge-sharing, and knowledge-understanding skills that serve young people throughout their lifetimes.
Despite their increased importance, many school librarians face tough times.
In Oregon, for example, the number of library and media specialists across the state has dwindled
from 818 in 1980 to 376 in 2008. The number of students per library and media specialist has
correspondingly grown from 547 in 1980 to 1,500 in 2008. [Source: Oregon School Directory,
Oregon Department of Education.] Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows
that, nationwide, there is just one FTE librarian per 906 pupils in US public schools.
These cutbacks are occurring just when our nation is being urged to “integrate
digital and media literacy as critical elements for education at all levels” [The Knight
Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy,
Informing Communities:
Sustaining Democracy in the Digital Age, Washington, D.C.: The Aspen Institute, October 2009].
At a time when finding trusted information sources and digital and media competencies are “new
forms of foundational learning,” we need our school librarians more than ever [The Knight Commission report].
The look, feel, and experiences of the school library have changed significantly
in the 24 years since my son was a child. At the vanguard of these changes is the American
Association of School Librarians, which last year issued
Standards
for the 21st-Century Learner to help school library media specialists bring 21st-century skills
into the heart of the learning process. School librarians today continue to provide vital connections across
all grades and subjects, foster a love of learning, and nurture a set of skills that stay with students for
the rest of their lives. As my own son’s experience indicates, school librarians can make all the difference
in a child’s life.
—Marsha L. Semmel, Acting Director, IMLS
Click here to read the full August 2010 issue of the Primary Source e-newsletter.
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