The Tennessee Association of School Librarians


Statement from the
Tennessee Association of School Librarians
On the position of
State Coordinator of School Library Services

The Tennessee Association of School Librarians strongly urges the governor of Tennessee to appoint a certified school librarian to the position of State Coordinator of School Library Services within the Department of Education.  The appointment of a state coordinator will help to assure that school library media specialists and their respective districts receive leadership, advocacy, and advisory services pertinent to their needs at the state level.

The State Coordinator of School Library Services would be responsible for the following:

  • Collaborations-Interact with administrators, educators, and school library media specialists through the creation of task forces to explore issues pertaining to academic achievement, instructional programs, and assessment.
  • Professional Development-Plan statewide and regional workshops on curriculum and standards, federal and state legislation, library media program development, technology, and library facilities.
  • Library Resources-Provide direction to improve school library collections and to help align these collections with mandated state standards. 
  • Advocacy-Communicate with the governor, state legislators, state education officials, and state agencies on behalf of school library media centers.  Serve as a liaison between state government and school districts.
  • Research-Initiate research showing the benefits of school library media programs to overall school programs, similar to studies in other states (Colorado, 1995 and 1999; Alaska, 1999; and Pennsylvania, 2000).

The Tennessee Association of School Librarians encourages the governor of Tennessee to act upon this request at his earliest opportunity.  During the previous administrations, a State Coordinator was not appointed.  There is a critical need for a certified person within the Department of Education to serve as a primary contact for school library media specialists across the state.

The development of exemplary school library programs and collections is vital to the academic success of students.  Numerous research studies (most notably How School Librarians Help Kids Achieve Standards by Keith Curry Lance et al, Colorado Department of Education, 2000) have shown that the degree to which students are successful academically in school impinges upon the quality of their individual school library media centers.  Therefore, it is imperative that there be an official at the state level who will work in partnership with school library media specialists, state government officials, educators, and administrators in fostering better library services and resources so that no child will be left behind in Tennessee.

Statement from the
Tennessee Association of School Librarians
On the position of
Basic Education Funding for School Library Media Centers

The school library media program provides essential support to the curriculum by providing resources and incorporating teaching strategies to address the diverse learning abilities of students. Through collaboratively planned units of instruction with classroom teachers, school librarians, and other education professionals, students develop information skills that are crucial to academic success. The library becomes an extension of the classroom and an important arena in the education process.

The school library media program is one of the few programs within a school that must interact with all students on a daily basis.  In order to be an effective program, the resources and facility of the school library must be broad enough to meet the demanding educational needs of a varied population.  The library collection must reflect diverse viewpoints on current and historical issues, so that students will have adequate opportunities to locate, analyze, evaluate, interpret, and communicate ideas in an informed manner. Materials must be available that will enhance and increase the abilities of students to evolve into critical thinkers and productive members of society.

The success of a school library media program is dependent upon a number of factors, an important one of which is adequate funding.  In 1992, the Basic Education Program was enacted, and since then billions of state tax dollars have been allocated to school systems across the state.  Presently, spending for elementary and secondary schools is the most expensive item in the state budget, which is approximately 45 percent of the annual budget or a 2.5 billion yearly expenditure.

The classroom components within BEP include the following line items:  classroom materials and supplies, textbooks, instructional equipment, and technology.  Missing from the list is a line item for school library media center materials.  The omission of this line item hampers the efforts of a school library media program to be an essential element within a school.

As the governing and policy making body for the Tennessee system of public elementary and secondary education, the State Board of Education is the state agency responsible for the review and allocation of funds for BEP.  In the board’s quest to provide a quality education for all Tennesseans, the board should reexamine its stance on a line item within BEP for school library materials, especially in light of national reports and studies on the impact of school libraries on academic achievement. The Tennessee Association of School Librarians strongly encourages the board to create a line item for school library materials, so that a sufficient level of quality within library collections could be achieved within the state.  A key predictor to students’ academic achievement is the presence of a rich collection of print and electronic information resources within school libraries.