What is Better about a Certified School Librarian? With Pictures!

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!​

​Many community members (you who are reading this) have no idea that HISD currently (late July 2021) has only 55 certified librarians ready to start 2021 in its 280+ schools. Recognizing that hiring is still in process for the coming year, I include this overview of library staffing for the last school year. HISD Library Services is working hard to convince principals and district administrators of the impact strong school libraries with certified staff could have on student achievement, but the numbers are not improving YET. ​

The Table of Contents offers you an overview of the full document. Green means the staff-person is skilled in this area. Yellow means use caution: the staff-person is not likely skilled but may have some knowledge in this area. Red means the staff-person has no training at all except in the clerical aspects of the job. A school that chooses to staff the library with a non-professional, clerical assistant is denying their students the breadth of what ​strong library services should offer students and teachers; having no library at all is only slightly worse for students. A school that chooses to staff the library with a certified teacher offers students some elements of strong library service, but much is missing. Only trained and certified school librarians know the full array of expectations and can be held to accomplish them every day, all year long with every student and teacher. This page offers you an overview of that breadth of skills.

Really, it is a bargain anyway to have one person who 

• Teaches and supports all students in need of resources at their ability and interest levels
• Supports literacy skills and enthusiasm across the school, in classrooms and beyond
• Writes curriculum in collaboration with classroom teachers to increase the impact of standard content units across the school
• Organizes information resources in many formats for easiest access by students and teachers
• Is skilled with technology applications and digital content resources, matching the right tools to the content, student age and ability spectrum
• Teaches information literacy and critical thinking skills to the campus community

​Manages all these jobs at once, working with every teacher and student in the school, as well as the administrative team.

​In 2019, I compiled an illustration booklet to show what a school gets by staffing the library with a certified school librarian, a certified teacher of any subject, or a non-professional.

Click here to view the full VISUAL GUIDELINE TO STAFFING CHOICES IN SCHOOL LIBRARIES.

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.