It is well known that school libraries offer students access not only to books, but also to many other resources such as nonprint materials, the latest technology, and access to literacy and support programs such as after-school tutoring. Research demonstrates that schools that rely on their libraries to bolster student growth “have seen increased motivation, higher assessment scores, and ultimately higher graduation rates.”
[i] Unfortunately, when school funding decreases, librarians and media staff are often the first to be laid off.
[ii] And for schools that maintain their librarians, the staff-to-student ratio might be inadequate or worsening.
[iii] For these reasons, library staffing policies are likely to have an effect on student reading scores. I was curious to investigate whether having more full and part-time librarians at a school increases a child’s reading level. My hypothesis was that schools with more full and part-time librarians would have students with higher reading scores, specifically measured through higher gains in their reading scores over the course of the school year. My secondary research question was whether having more librarians at schools where the majority of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch improves reading scores. My hypothesis was that in these schools more librarians would also lead to higher scores. After conducting two-sample hypothesis tests, my results were not statistically significant. I discuss some reasons why this might be so, including omitted variables, reverse causation, and features of the particular data set I used.
[i] “Informational Brief: Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement,” New York Comprehensive Center, October 2011, http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/nyla/nycc_school_library_brief.pdf.
[ii] Keith Curry Lance and Linda Hofschire, “Something to Shout About: New research shows that more librarians means higher reading scores,” School Library Journal, September 1, 2011, https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=something-to-shout-about-new-research-shows-that-more-librarians-means-higher-reading-scores.
[iii] Kathy D. Tuck and Dwight R. Holmes, “Library/Media Centers in U.S. Public Schools: Growth, Staffing, and Resources (Executive Summary),” National Education Association Center for Great Public Schools, 2016, https://www.nea.org/assets/docs/Trends%20in%20School%20Library%20Media%20Centers%20Executive%20Summary.pdf.
