A Bronze Bullet We Already Have: School Libraries

My View

We were a good school district. We loved students and worked hard to serve them. But they were not readers. They didn’t read when they didn’t have to nor read well when they were tested. We were typical of school districts everywhere.

Then a new superintendent brought what he called a “laser-like focus on literacy.” One result was a transformation of the role of the school librarian. Librarians (and libraries) were restored to the heart of each school and began helping lead the work to lift student literacy, which is clearly improving. Our shared commitment to real, sustainable change has made that evolution possible.

A few practices and different ways of thinking have surfaced as key to this important new role for librarians.