Middle School library | Page 4

Elementary school achievment is distinguished by the time school library staff spend teaching

… [H]igher and lower scoring elementary schools are distinguished by the amount of time school library staff spend in teaching students and teachers how to access and use print and electronic information resources. At higher achieving schools library staff spend three days on such activities for every two by lower achieving schools… At higher achieving schools at all grade levels, library staff are involved in committees and provide in-service training to teachers. Library staff at lower achieving schools usually do not engage in these activities at all.

Reference:

Measuring up to standards: the impact of school library programs & information literacy in Pennsylvania schools

Higher achieving schools spend more on their school libraries

Higher achieving schools often spend twice as much—or more—on their school library programs as lower achieving schools.

Reference:

Measuring up to standards: the impact of school library programs & information literacy in Pennsylvania schools

Reading test scores rise with library media increases

Oregon reading test scores rise with increases in:total staff hours per 100 students (including both professional and support staff),print volumes per student,periodical subscriptions per 100 students, andlibrary media expenditures per student.

Reference:

Good schools have school librarians: Oregon school librarians collaborate to improve academic achievement

The school library is a classroom and a welcoming place of learning

Vitally important is the vision of the library as a classroom and a welcoming place of learning. The teacher-librarians are leaders in their school and outstanding teachers. Both the library and the teacher librarian are recognized as playing a critical role in supporting the educational outcomes of the school. In schools with these types of libraries, students reported high levels of satisfaction and engagement with their libraries and they were active readers. The majority wanted to have more opportunities to use the school library.

Reference:

Exemplary school libraries in Ontario : A study

In exemplary library programs, the teacher-librarian takes a broader educational role

Key to a truly exemplary library program was that the teacher-librarian took on a broader educational role within the school, providing support for classroom teachers through partnering and collaboration, supporting all students through shared teaching and cross-cirricular support or integration of curriculum.

Reference:

Exemplary school libraries in Ontario : A study

Schools with well-resourced libraries score higher on standardised tests

[Keith Curry Lance’s] finding consistently report that students in schools with well-staffed, -stocked and -funded libraries score from 10% to 25% higher on standardised tests than students in schools with poorly resourced libraries. Furthermore, the more hours that the school library is open, the higher the achievement levels of the students.

Reference:

School libraries & student achievement in Ontario

Library staffing is associated with higher reading achievement

Library staffing is associated with an increase in grade 3 reading performance. The presence of trained library staff is associated with higher achievement in reading for grade 6 students.

Reference:

School libraries & student achievement in Ontario

The presence of a teacher-librarian influences reading enjoyment

The presence of a teacher-librarian was the single strongest predictor of reading enjoyment for both grades 3 and 6 students.

Reference:

School libraries & student achievement in Ontario

School librarians advocate the development of independent, lifelong learners

The development of independent, lifelong learners has long been an advocacy point of school librarians. They have focused on learners who have skills and interest for engaging with information out of school, for personal interest and ideas discovery and solving school-based and personal problems they encounter where information is needed in the process. 78.7% of students indicated that the school library helps them discover interesting topics other than their school work.

Reference:

Student learning through Ohio school libraries

School library computers help with school work

84.9% of the students indicated that school library computers help them do their school work better… Two key features stand out in the students’ comments. First, students see a clear relationship between being able to access information through information technology, and achievement, in research assignments and projects. Second, the instructional intervention of the school librarian in developing students as effective users of information technology to search for information, and the development of students as discerning evaluators of web information plays a role in achieving good grades.

Reference:

Student learning through Ohio school libraries