Western Region

Students whose library media specialists played an instructional role achieve higher test scores

Students whose library media specialists played an instructional role—either by identifying materials to be used with teacher-planned instructional units or by collaborating with teachers in planning instructional units—tend to achieve higher average test scores

Library summer reading programs impact student reading levels, ability, and enjoyment

Library summer reading programs have a major impact on student reading levels, ability, and enjoyment. An evaluation of summer reading programs in Los Angeles found that participating children spent more time looking at and reading books than before they joined the program. During the summer, the percent of children reading 10-14 hours a week increased by nine percentage points and the proportion of children reading 15 or more hours a week rose by 11 percentage points. Teachers contacted as part of the Los Angeles study found that the difference between students who participated in summer library programs and those who did not was readily apparent the following fall. The most dramatic difference was that participants were much more enthusiastic about reading: 55% had a high enthusiasm for reading compared to less than 40% of non-participants. Teachers also reported that participating students who were reading above grade level before the summer were more likely to maintain this reading level than peers who did not participate in the summer reading program.

Library summer programs promote reading and language development

Basic Service: Summer reading program. Promotes: Access to reading materials, independent reading, recreational reading, reading motivation, enjoyment of reading, interaction during reading, playing with language, reading practice, building vocabulary, reading fluency.

Story time for preschoolers

Basic Service: Story time for preschoolers. Promotes: Hearing language, being read aloud to, socialization, cognitive development for building later learning, modeling reading aloud and interaction for parents and caregivers, reading motivation, playing with language. Best Practice: Parent training and mentoring. Promotes: Socialization, language-skill building, book selection, motivation, joy of reading. Best Practice: Programming with families. Promotes: Lifelong use of library, motivation, parent/child interaction, independent reading, access to materials, early/emergent literacy. Best Practice: Child-care provider training and mentoring. Promotes: Early/emergent literacy, book selection, motivation, joy of reading, playing with language.

Scores averaged higher, if principals considered it essential for:

At the elementary school level, the percentage of students with advanced scores averaged higher, if principals and other administrators considered it essential (vs. less than essential) for:the librarian to provide in-service professional development to faculty (20.6% for the language arts, 17.8% for reading);the librarian’s instructional role to be addressed in teacher hiring interviews (22.0% for language arts, 17.4% for reading)the librarian to be appointed to school committees (16.8% for language arts, 13.8% for reading); andthe librarian and the principal to meet regularly (15.6% for reading only).

Schools with larger library collections averaged higher scores

Elementary schools with larger library collections in [periodical and video collections] averaged 67 to 73 percent of students scoring proficient or advanced and 9 to 11 percent scoring unsatisfactory. Schools with smaller library collections averaged 61 to 67 percent scoring proficient or advanced and 12 to 14 percent unsatisfactory.

Better-funded elementary school libraries averaged a majority of students scoring proficient or advanced

Elementary schools with better-funded libraries averaged 68 to 72 percent of students scoring proficient or advanced and 9 to 10 percent scoring unsatisfactorily. Schools with more poorly-funded libraries averaged 62 to 67 percent scoring proficient or advanced and 12 to 14 percent unsatisfactory.

At schools with one full-time endorsed librarian, students score higher

For elementary schools that have at least one full-time endorsed librarian, the percentage of third, fourth, and fifth grade students scoring proficient or advanced in reading is consistently higher than for schools with lower staffing levels—a 4 to 5 percent absolute difference and a 6 to 8 percent proportional difference.