by Debbie Hall
Library Services are administered at the district level under the auspices of various larger departments. In some districts, the library manager reports to the director of technology, school support services, or curriculum for example. It is sometimes difficult for the managing department to be responsive to the needs of libraries because they are not well-versed in the unique needs and functionality of school libraries. Here is what I recently shared with members of the HISD leadership team about problems I have observed with how Library Services is being managed. This is especially critical due to the recent resignation of the HISD Library Services Manager.

LETTER
As a retired HISD library administrator, I watch with interest and concern for events that potentially impact library services to students. Recently, the manager of HISD Library Services resigned. The job was posted on January 20th. When I saw the job application online, which gave almost no mention of school library administration, I became concerned. The present job description for the Library Manager is entirely about the duties of a curriculum manager and barely mentioned libraries.
 
It is my observation that the decline of library services to students in HISD has escalated under the supervision of the Department of Curriculum. Under the Curriculum Department's control, the manager of Library Services has changed four times in ten years. All the clerical and secretarial personnel have been eliminated and the remaining professional staff has been called upon to perform copyright checks for curriculum projects in addition to their library services duties. Library Services has been used to the advantage of the mission of the curriculum department with little or no support of their own departmental mission. Prior to 2011, HISD had placed Library Services under School Support Services which allowed the department to work collaboratively with many other HISD departments. Library Services personnel routinely provided services to school libraries like cataloging, processing donated materials, inventory, and other help as needed. I urge you to reconsider where Library Services belongs on the organizational chart. It needs to report to a department that believes libraries are essential to public education. 
 
The manager of Library Services is an important school leader who can make a significant difference in the ability of libraries to provide for the needs of all students. The person holding this position needs to have experience in managing libraries and a thorough understanding of the mission of the district’s library program. It is for this reason that the selection committee should include people who are familiar with the skills and experience needed to run a department in a large school district. Considering the current state of HISD’s libraries (so many vacancies and closed libraries), the next library leader should be one who has the vision to restore libraries across the district by implementing a boldly designed plan over time with the support of HISD’s leadership. For this reason, the selection process should include (as it has in the past) library leaders from outside the district as well as HISD librarians. HISD leaders should also take part in the selection process, but a committee without library expertise will not be likely to ask the questions needed to determine a candidate’s suitability. I am concerned that the district will move too quickly on the selection of the next library administrator.  Applications are collected until a specified date and then the interviews begin. The current ending date for applying is March 28th. It would be standard procedure to make an announcement that would go out to the Texas Library Association and the American Library Association to attract the best candidates. This has not been done. I just saw the announcement online and posted it on the Texas Library Association Jobline a few days ago.
 
If the HISD wants to see students served by libraries, it starts here with this job. Get the best candidate and don’t rush the process.

By Dorcas Hand 
On its face, Site Based Management seems like a good thing. It puts the decisions about how a campus budget is spent entirely in the principal’s hands: who to hire, what positions to fill, what extras to offer, etc. HISD is the only district in Texas to still use this method; it was a trend for a while, but other districts realized they needed to exercise some central control while still giving schools some local control over decisions and budgeting. They, for example, require a nurse, counselor and/or librarian on each campus – and they adjust campus funding so that these roles are centrally funded leaving the campus to decide the rest.
Several things have affected the HISD culture around libraries, but I want to focus on two.

• State funding cuts: When the state cut their portion of school budgets dramatically in 2010 and subsequent years, the site managers (read HISD principals) were left to sort out how to balance their own budgets. With little time and inadequate advice, libraries took a huge hit, and the trend has continued.
• District culture: Since before the era of Terry Grier (2009-2016) , the district has not actively supported school libraries – and it has gotten worse over time. When principals get advice from the HISD Office of Budgeting and Financial Planning, those advisors know nothing about education or the benefits of libraries to academic success. They see an extra line item that could be cut. And those principals – many of them inexperienced - have had minimal interaction with strong school librarians either in their certification process or in their own K-12 years decades ago. They don’t know how exciting libraries are in 2021; they only know the stereotypical shushed rooms we see in films. 

Fast forward to 2021, with only 55 certified librarians in 280 schools. Turning that around has been and remains challenging. It is not a change that the School Board can decree, although the School Board can contribute to a change in district culture that honors school libraries for their support of literacy skills, critical thinking applications, and enticement to love learning in school and beyond. 

The decision lies with HISD administration and will require careful thought and a slow timeline that includes educating all HISD principals to the benefits of having a school librarian and a fully funded library on every campus as well as an in-house Alternative Certification Program to train librarians for the positions that job insecurity over the last 15+ years has vacated. 

The ESSER money being spent this year and next to update the book collections of all campuses not meeting the state definition of “Proficient.” [Wait, you say? There are Texas Standards and Guidelines for School Libraries? Why yes, there are. These include recommended quantities of books per student among other definitions - see p.43.] Having books on the campuses that are current, include popular titles, and are ready to inspire even reluctant readers at all grade levels to read for pleasure as well as for information. And that is only one aspect of the impact school libraries can and do have on the students who use them. Students who graduate from schools served by school libraries with certified staff are more successful in college. [Farmer, Lesley J. and Skyler Phamle, “Transitioning to college: Impact of high school librarians”] 

Our job as advocates of school libraries is to speak up often to campus administrators and district staff, including our Superintendent, and to our SB members, asking why students in the most challenged areas of the district have the least access to library resources and staff to help them grow as learners. While SNL does this often, we need parents and community members to speak up, too. It is your children that are in school now and will soon be heading to jobs, trades, the military or college. Every one of those students deserves a fully stocked and fully funded school library staffed by a certified librarian.
​
Takeaways from this post:

• Site Based Management has many good components..
• Some roles (librarians, nurses, counselors) need to be required of all campuses, even under Site Based Management.
• The decision to restore libraries to all HISD schools belongs to Superintendent House and his team of experts, but the School Board can play a strong role in stressing that all HISD students require a fully funded, fully stocked library staffed by a certified professional to achieve their best academic growth.

by Dorcas Hand

The Committee on Library Advocacy of the American Library Association published this infographic recently to illustrate the benefits to every K-12 student of open access to a fully funded and fully staffed school library. Students Need Libraries in HISD offers the image to support all the advocates across HISD who are speaking up for equity of access to school libraries for all HISD students. Sadly, it is those neighborhoods with the most challenges that are least likely to have a fully funded school library staffed by a certified school librarian. We are working together to convince Superintendent House, his staff and all the campus administrators across the district to step up for school libraries on behalf of our students and in support of stronger literacy achievement.
​
The image above is the front page. The back page includes supporting documentation for each point, as illustrated by these examples.

1. ...Better Prepared for College, Career and Life
   “How College Graduates Solve Information Problems Once They Join the Workplace” offers the insight that “employers who need college hires to use a combination of online and traditional methods to conduct comprehensive research.”
2. … Safe Space
   “Libraries as [Supportive Spaces for Wellbeing] Spaces in Contemporary Schools”
3. … Discover and Use the Best Educational Technology
   “The School Librarian: Your Ultimate Digital Resource”
4. … Find Resources Appropriate to their Needs”
   “Develop Inclusive Learners and Citizens”
5. … Achieve More in Schools with Libraries and Librarians
   “Haves, Halves, and Have-Nots: School Libraries and Student Achievement in California”

Because the links to these articles and more are included on the infographic’s page 2, I have not repeated them here.
​
Parents, parent organizations, teachers, and community advocates need to speak out often about the fact that HISD has only about 55 certified librarians for 280 schools. Another 75 or so have certified teachers staffing the library. That leaves approximately 140 schools with either non-certified staff (50) or a closed library. We can do better. 

Please share this information with your campus community to be sure they speak up frequently. Start with the campus principal who currently makes that decision - but don’t forget the district, because both the Superintendent’s office and the School Board need to know what benefits students miss out on when not served by a library adequately staffed and stocked with up-to-date, compelling materials.

by Dorcas Hand
Certified School Librarians in Texas are certified teachers with at least two years full-time classroom teaching experience PLUS coursework in library science PLUS a Masters Degree.
https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/programs/school-librarian-certificate/requirements-notices 

​In Houston ISD, personnel with all this additional training are paid the same as any classroom teacher making the expertise held by the campus librarian a bargain!​

HISD has just hired a new Superintendent. We at Students Need Libraries in HISD welcome Millard House. He comes from Clarksville-Montgomery County School Systems in Tennessee, where every school has a certified librarian. Consequently, we have high expectations that he will work to offer students across HISD the EQUITY of a school library that is fully funded, holds a diverse collection of materials appropriate to the student population, and is staffed full-time by a certified librarian. HISD Library Services stands at the ready to support him in making this change.

​YOU who read this blog post hold the responsibility as members of the Houston ISD community to speak out for equity for all our students. HISD Literacy rates are much lower than they should be, and inconsistent across the district in part because students have not had reliable access to school libraries that support the students’ own reading interests with awareness of their skill levels and abilities. Together, we can change what has been into what can be.

Mr. House,

Welcome to HISD.  We represent a grassroots group of community members, parents, and other advocates who want to see a dynamic library in every school. We have a website (Students Need Libraries in HISD) that provides information about HISD libraries in particular and school libraries in general.  As a new Superintendent, here’s what you need to about HISD libraries:
(1)   Numbers: As of mid-July, there are only 55 certified librarians in a school district of over 280 schools. Too many schools have no library at all, but most schools have clerks or teachers assigned to manage the library. Although these individuals have been trained to circulate books, most of those assigned to the library cannot provide the instructional services (book selection, teaching research skills, etc.) required. The perception among those who might apply is that a library position in HISD is insecure. We have lost many good librarians to other school districts as a result. Five out of the ten librarians who were selected as Librarian of the Year in the past decade have left the district to work as a librarian in outlying districts. Here is the link to library staffing data in recent years: http://www.studentsneedlibrariesinhisd.org/library-staffing-overview.html

​(2) Site-based Management: Principals have the final determination as to whether the library is open or closed and whether to hire a librarian, a teacher or a clerk to staff the library. In general, many principals are not aware of the benefits of a strong library program and do not realize the librarian’s impact on student achievement for all students. When principals attend the district’s budgeting sessions, they are likely to be told they cannot afford a librarian.

(3) Board Policy: Reading the board policies, the district clearly has a commitment to providing library services to all students. The problem is that these policies are not being enforced or considered when staffing libraries or making decisions that affect students’ access to libraries.

(4)  Department of Library Services: This department is the district’s expert on staff in the management of existing libraries and the design of new libraries. For many years, HISD Library Services was part of the School Support team which was a good fit for this department as libraries provide ongoing academic support to both students and teachers. For the past ten years, Library Services has been under the Curriculum department which has not been a good fit. Currently, the department is under the purview of Elementary Curriculum, ignoring the fact that libraries serve schools PreK-12.  Under Curriculum department management, there have been numerous cutbacks in staffing and budget.
​
(5) Equity: Ultimately, the strongest argument for the restoration of the library program in HISD is equity. There are some communities in HISD which have never failed to staff their libraries. There are too many communities - whole feeder patterns - where the books on the library shelves have disappeared or the collections have been allowed to stagnate locked in time. A return to centralized budgeting for all libraries would benefit student success.

Conclusion: School libraries and certified librarians offer a strong toolkit to support improved literacy scores across the district. Investment in libraries is a long-term effort with benefits for all HISD students in test scores and graduation rates. The ESSER funds already requested by Library Services offer a huge opportunity to rebuild the campus library collections and develop plans to support increased staffing over a few years.
We look forward to seeing what your new leadership will bring to HISD. We know that your libraries in Clarksville-Montgomery were all fully staffed with certified librarians. We urge you to take this opportunity to recommit to the idea that all HISD schools have access to library programs as well. You have our support in this effort. 

Sincerely,
Dorcas Hand
Debbie Hall
Library Advocate/ volunteer
Houston, Texas
http://www.studentsneedlibrariesinhisd.org/
Eliminating school libraries and librarians deprive students of diverse and equitable opportunities to learn the essential college and career skills necessary to be successful.

​By Debbie Hall

We sent the letter below to the HISD Building Dept. today in response to our increasing awareness of problematic library designs in new and renovated HISD campuses. Everyone should speak up when they see these issues, to campus admin, parents and school board representatives.


​


​
​I am a former HISD librarian and a current advocate for HISD and particularly the district’s library program. I have seen the impact that libraries can have on the lives of our students and presently I am very concerned with the direction HISD is going in regards to designing new library spaces for students. 
 
At a time when we know that literacy rates are declining, HISD should be following best practices in school library design and being more strategic when planning library spaces for its students. From the results, I am seeing in new buildings and even in renovations, I cannot understand what the current HISD library design guidelines are or if there are any guidelines. I see spaces that restrict the types of interactions available between the student, the teacher, and the librarian. I see libraries without walls, libraries in hallways, and libraries with no identifiable space at all. I see some new schools being built without a library. The current designs may look good on paper but I seriously question how these spaces will function serving the needs of students and teachers both now and in the future.
 
Libraries are for learning and instruction. The most obvious flaw with HISD's current school library design is that large group teaching space has been eliminated in some cases. The effect of this lack of instructional space is that the library becomes a space for only small group or one-on-one interactions. Schools with this type of floor plan cannot support the instructional mission of the library. Too many of the new HISD "libraries" are merely shelves with books in an open unsecured area, often a hallway.
 
Guidelines for library design address multiple activities. In a school library, there should be a space for large group instruction, comfortable reading areas, viewing areas, study carrels, shelves, computers, tables to write or design, maker spaces, and areas for quiet reflection/thinking. Where would a librarian introduce research skills to a large class or small group in a library without an area dedicated to instruction? If the elementary library is in a hallway, how can a story be read aloud to engage readers? What about security? The library collection is typically one of a school's most valuable assets. If there are no walls and no way to restrict access, how is the inventory of its contents kept safe for all to use? Does the fact that Lamar High School has placed library books and shelves in a hallway - without a librarian even - make that space a library? 
 
The following schools were recently built with two-story open-concept library designs: Condit, Braeburn, Kolter and Scarborough. The open-concept plan was very popular in 1965 and it was largely a failure. The idea is being resurrected. While you can find positive and negative reviews of this model, I think most librarians would find it very challenging to manage students where they can be spread over two floors. The acoustic issues, including student distraction and strain on teacher voices not to mention discipline issues when students are out of sight on a different floor, have been common complaints in many such designs.
 
I have talked to several librarians who shared their experiences serving on their building committee to plan new HISD schools. All of them expressed frustration about getting their concerns answered. Most recently I have spoken to the former librarians at HSPVA, Bellaire, and HSHP who expressed their dissatisfaction with the process. They were able to get some but not all of the changes that they felt were needed to make the spaces work for their students and staff. 
 
The schools that do not have a librarian on staff have no one speaking up for a functional library design in a new facility. This is especially problematic if the principal has no idea what a good 21st-century library should look like. The district’s office of Library Services should take part in all meetings where important decisions about the library design are made. In any large school district, the Department of Library Services is tasked with providing expertise on what school library programs should offer and how library spaces should look and function. Until recently, all HISD school library designs were a result of a collaboration between the Library Services Department, the school librarian, and the school building committee.
 
I hope that HISD will reconsider this aspect of the building program and once again return to the idea that the library is an instructional hub for the campus. Having bookshelves in the hallway is not the same as providing a library; books in the hallway without a trained librarian is a waste of money. Don’t waste taxpayer’s money, build libraries that are based on design guidelines that take into account the library's mission of connecting readers to books and information. Use the experts on your staff (certified school librarians and the Department of Library Services) to create world-class library spaces.
 
Debbie Hall
Library Advocate/ volunteer
Houston, Texas

by Dorcas Hand

HISD administration is working to decide how to spend the ARP/ESSER funds. That’s the federal American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, more than $800 million coming directly to Houston ISD. During the week of May 17-21, a survey was open to the public on how that money should be spent. It is a three-year windfall, which means the district needs to spend it in ways that have staying power. 
​
The survey, linked here in PDF, covered lots of potential topics - including Library Services. Yes, Library Services were directly listed. And SNL Speaks Out readers know that we consistently push the idea that school libraries improve student success at school, and we know that libraries do not exist on every HISD campus. How might libraries help in many areas the survey addresses? What are useful ways to invest this one time funding in HISD libraries? 

Besides libraries, the survey includes 

• Campus infrastructure that will support student health, especially in relation to transmission of illness like COVID: improve ventilation systems across the district to minimize both flu outbreaks and pandemic spikes. 
• Comprehensive mental health support. 
• General disaster preparedness (hurricane, pandemic): everything from providing meals to the needy to digital devices to supporting special needs, all with minimizing learning loss and maintaining federal and state standards in mind. 
• Wraparound services to coordinate sensitive areas to ensure every child is respectfully supported to successful academic growth. 

Now that we have survived COVID so soon after Hurricane Harvey, the district has experience to bring to disaster planning. 

Now, let’s consider areas that library services can impact positively. 

• Continue, improve and expand services to Title I students and Individuals with Disabilities, as well as Family Literacy efforts. 
• Level up Career and Technical offerings.
• Learning loss across the district, but especially in those areas hardest hit because families lacked consistent wifi access and/or adequate devices for all students in the home. Campuses that had libraries during the pandemic had an extra advantage in keeping literacy achievement moving forward. 
• Curriculum/Instructional Enhancements - Libraries are one method to enhance curriculum creatively, based on academic needs but without relying on cookie-cutter, expensive solutions from outside vendors.
• English Learner (EL) Supports - Libraries offer bilingual resources according to campus needs. Libraries also offer windows, doors, and mirrors to support students of other cultures to feel fully welcomed into the campus community.
• Special Education - Libraries support special curricula by finding and enabling access to appropriate resources.
• Interventions / Gifted and Talented (GT) - Libraries support all learners regardless of level or ability. That is their mission; they need a certified librarian and some funding to purchase appropriate resources.
• Library Services provides centralized support to all HISD libraries.

Research tells us that students learn to read better and to love learning more when they have access to a library of books that allows them to read widely, choose their own books, and expand world awareness at their own pace which is what libraries facilitate. “[H]ow are students dis-served when their schools lack certified school librarians? School librarians are credentialed teachers. In addition to fostering a habit of reading to learn, school librarians teach a cross-disciplinary curriculum…” Libraries can support after school programs and summer learning at the same time they include ed tech support as a normal element of their mission: locating, evaluating and disseminating useful digital resources for use in classrooms and independently by students. Certified librarians are also experts in training both teachers and students in the use of these resources.

CONCLUSION
HISD currently has 62 libraries staffed with certified librarians. It is unclear what budget those librarians have for library materials, but all funding is campus based. Yes, there are another 79 libraries staffed by teachers - again with uncertain budgets. There are 274 HISD schools served by Library Services but only 141 (62+79) have library services staffed by trained personnel; 48 have clerks; 43 are vacant; and 41 have no library at all [All data from the same link]. Given that school libraries could positively impact almost all the categories addressed by the HISD Survey, HISD should invest in its libraries so that more campuses have the advantage of library services. 
How might the district leverage this one time funding to phase in libraries for every student?

• Use some ESSER funding to open (establish a library space and purchase an opening resource collection) libraries on campuses without them now, while using internal funds (district, campus or even a grant) to fund the staffing. Perhaps begin with the most challenged campus populations, like the Achieve 180 schools. Or those that are challenged but not failing, where the additional support of a campus library could have dramatic effect. Opening libraries on disadvantaged campuses works toward equitable services for all HISD students.
• ESSER funds could replace library materials lost during COVID, on all campuses with libraries currently.
• ESSER funds could also support some interested teachers to get Library Certification. As the district adds libraries, there will be great need for certified librarians to staff those spaces. Remember that librarians are also certified teachers, and cost no more salary than a certified teacher.

This is a huge opportunity to offer library resources to a much higher percentage of the HISD student population. SNL hopes the new superintendent, the school board and the principals can be convinced of the wisdom of this path.