Have you ever needed a statistic to help argue your case about the importance of school libraries? Here are a few sources to help you. They include sources with current as well as historical information about school library media centers.
School Library Media Centers: Selected results from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2005/2005302.pdf
The U.S. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) recently released some of the findings from a longitudinal study of 10th graders. Reported findings show seventy-six percent of U.S. school libraries had state certified librarians on staff in 2003, 96 percent reported Internet access in the library, 88 percent had reference databases, 56 percent had academic subject databases and 80 percent of students reported school library reference materials to be useful or very useful.
Fifty Years of Supporting Children's Learning: A History of Public School Libraries and Federal Legislation From 1953 to 2000
http://nces/ed.gov/pubs2005/2005311.pdf
Drawn from more than 50 sources, this report from the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) presents descriptive data about public school libraries since 1953. Along with key characteristics of school libraries, the report also presents national and regional standards, and federal legislation affecting school library media centers. Data from sample surveys are presented at the national, regional, and school levels, and by state.
Status of Public & Private School Library Media Centers in the United States: 1999-2000
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2004/2004313.pdf
This publication from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the U.S. Department of Education summarizes findings from the public and private School Library Media Center Questionnaires, a component of the 1999–2000 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). Topics addressed in this report are:
- characteristics of the library media center,
- staff characteristics,
- library expenditures,
- collection holdings, and
- library policies.
Library Data and Reports: School Library Media Centers
http://www.lrs.org/index.php
The Library Research Service, a partnership of the State Library and Adult Education Office of the Colorado Department of Education with the Library and Information Services Department at University College of the University of Denver, generates research and statistics to equip decision-makers to improve library services.
Also available is Fast Facts: Recent Statistics from the Library Research Service, a series of topical bulletins published on an irregular basis.
Digest of Education Statistics
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest
This is an essential source of statistics related to education at all levels. It now has a chapter related to libraries. In the 2007 edition, Tables 407-409 provide selected statistics related to school libraries, and tables 57, 77-80 provide data on school staffing, including numbers of librarians and aides.
A Brief Profile of America’s Public Schools
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2007/2007379.pdf
As the title suggests, this is a brief summary of data from the 2003-04 School and Staffing Survey, including basic information about school libraries.
Characteristics of Schools, Districts, Teachers, Principals, and School Libraries in the United States: 2003-04 Schools and Staffing Survey
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/2006313.pdf
The Schools and Staffing Survey is the most extensive report about staff that work in public elementary and secondary schools, and this publication includes the 2003-04 SASS data. Although the document was released in March 2006, the title page indicates that some revisions were added in June 2007.
School Data Direct
http://www.schooldatadirect.org
The information on this site is collected by the Council of Chief State School Officers. Users can compare statistical information for states, school districts and individual schools on topics such as achievement, staffing, expenditures, etc.
More topic-specific statistics may be found on other Resource Guides, such as Budget, Student Achievement, etc