Request for Assistance: School Librarians (fwd)

[Don Warren]

I am forwarding this from my Library School reflector as I felt that
some 
of the answers Christine needs might be known to members of web4lib. 
Please answer her directly if you can help.
 
Thanks -

Don C. WARREN, student
San Jose State Univeristy
School of Library and Information Science

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 19:40:41 -0800 (PST)
> From: Christine Holmes <cholmes at WAHOO.SJSU.EDU>
> To: csu_slis at listproc.sjsu.edu
> Subject: Action: School Librarians
> 
> 
> Today, I found myself in conversation with a concerned parent of a 
> California school district who told me that there had been board
meetings 
> to discuss the elimination of its school librarians in favor of
dedicated 
> volunteers to staff the school libraries (elementary is my
impression).
> 
> The parent stated the following:  funding is tight, the libraries
have 
> automated systems and Internet access and excellent collection 
> development, so, why need a librarian.  I gave him an earful, but, I
am a 
> corporate librarian and my understanding, expertise, experience and
so 
> forth falls short when it comes to school librarians.
> 
> I would like to be able to give him case studies, stats, cost benefit 
> analysis, or other appropriate ammunition in which to demonstrate the 
> necessity for a professional.  The notion of volunteer parent or 
> individual running a corporate library is ridiculous and of course,
it 
> must be the case in a school setting.
> 
> Please, this is not a time for emotional outbursts.  If you can
point me 
> to appropriate sources or forward my email to appropriate listservs
and 
> provide real data, concrete evidence to justify the importance and 
> necessity for a librarian to manage school libraries, then, perhaps,
this 
> district will have good information to make the right decisions.  
> 
> Please, respond to me personally (cholmes at wahoo.sjsu.edu) and not to
the 
> entire listserv.
> 
> Thank you.
> 
> 
> 
> 


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