Library research
Fall 2009
The best way to find out more about school libraries is to ask a librarian, of course—he or she is an expert, after all, and knows where to look for additional materials. Here are a few Web sites that may also come in handy:
‘Haves, Halves and Have-Nots: School Libraries and Student Achievement”’
San Benito High School teacher librarian Doug Achterman’s doctoral dissertation, referred to in the main story, explores the link between strong library programs and student scores on California’s Standardized Testing and Reporting Program. “The school library program is a better predictor of scores on the high school English Language Arts STAR test than other school variables such as teacher experience and teacher salary,” Achterman reports.
‘College Success: High School Librarians Make the Difference’
“Research has provided solid evidence that school library programs—ones with credentialed librarians, where librarians partner with school faculty, and whose school libraries have sufficient staffing and collections—contribute to student achievement. These studies have controlled for community and school differences and the possible interfering effects of such variables as student socioeconomic status,” Topsey N. Smalley, an instruction librarian at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz County, writes in this 2004 report, also referenced in the main article, and available on the Friends of Santa Cruz School Libraries Web site.
American School Library Association
“The mission of the American Association of School Librarians is to advocate excellence, facilitate change, and develop leaders in the school library media field,” according to the Web site of this group, which is a division of the American Library Association.
The Big House Library
“This website and all of its content was created by, is maintained by, and is the intellectual property of Ms. Anna Koval, teacher/librarian at Casa Grande High School,” says this school library Web site, which is as good a model as any that a Web search is apt to turn up.
—Brian Taylor