No School Libraries

 Let's get straight to the point - in elementary schools in the largest school board in Canada, the library allocation has been removed.

I'm trying to use terms that are factual and are neither hyperbolic nor emotionally manipulative.

I'm also working very hard to describe the impact this decision will have on others, not just me (a teacher-librarian).

This is difficult to do on many levels. My OAC English teacher once told our class that it is much more understandable for an audience to grasp the awful aspects of a situation if the story is told from one individual's perspective, instead of attempting to describe the magnitude of the situation for hundreds of thousands of people. It'd be easy for me to talk about how this will impact me - but it's not about me. It's not about teacher-librarians; it's about school libraries.

Another challenge is to find the right analogy to help those who are not in education understand the ramifications. This is where I wish I could borrow the brain of Jenn Apgar, who is so skilled at coining the perfect allegory. I don't want to attempt to say it's like a Kia dealership employee having to sell Jeeps and being expected to learn the ins and outs of these new vehicles in a week. I don't want to compare it to a heart surgeon who must transition to being a cancer specialist - because I don't know how those professions work, and I don't want to be presumptuous and claim that the comparisons are legitimate. Too many individuals do this, including our own premier who has complained that grocery store employees "stepped up" and teachers need to do the same.

I got a nail in my tire on Friday (the day I learned about this turn of events). Could that work as a metaphor? Or is it just "bad things happen in sets"?

So, despite these obstacles, let me try to explain why eliminating the allocation is extremely detrimental.

As I write this post, the day before Labour Day, school personnel will have less than a week to create classes, assign teachers to classes, design timetables and schedules, and devise the particulars to their COVID protocols (e.g. fire drills, entry procedures, recess routines, lunch duties, bathroom visits, hallway flow, etc.). Many educators will be moving to teaching virtually or teaching a class that was not their original assignment. Who might help them find resources to support their students? Usually educators turn to teacher-librarians and other school library professionals. No school library staffing means no support for classroom instructors. It's a shame because teacher-librarians and other school library professionals were ideal people to help with these transitions and changes, because of their training in digital tools, copyright compliance, literacy, and collaboration skills. The changes were supposed to reduce sizes. In many cases, class sizes have not become smaller. Instead we have a lot of stressed educators uncertain about who or what they are teaching, and no one officially to help them out with their mental health and well-being or any curriculum planning.

My board shared a fantastic document called "Library Learning Commons: Considerations for September 2020 - Teacher-Librarians, Library Collections, Library Spaces" and I thank the individuals who created it. It is extremely thorough in considering all the logistics related to accessing books and resources for learning, the physical library space, and how the teacher-librarian can work within the new realities of programming/support/leadership in a school that must take COVID into consideration. The great thing about this document is that it provided several options for operations, understanding that there is no one set formula that will work for every school community. The key, however, is to have designated school library professionals to ensure Health and Safety Protocols are followed. Spaces will become unsafe if they are not adequately staffed.

What about the students? Book exchange and instruction was going to be possible, albeit altered, both for in-school learning and online or remote learning. The document called "Strategies for Schools: Student Borrowing and Return of Books from School Libraries" outlined several possibilities - but none of this is possible without a school library professional. We can't have volunteers or students run the school libraries - it's unfair and unwise.

Losing school library staffing in elementary schools will have a huge impact on the Canadian publishing industry, vendors, authors, and other literary agents. I will not be able to run the Ontario Library Association's Forest of Reading programs if I am required to teach a class of students. I will not be able to research, examine, and purchase new resources. I will not be able to book author visits, even remote ones, when my priority is the group of learners I must care for and educate, especially with a curriculum new to me.

Let me make a few things clear. I am not angry at administrators. (On the contrary, I feel terrible for principals who are faced with horrible decisions to make.) I am disappointed but not furious with my school board (or other boards that have made this decision). Other school boards have been able to arrange to retain their school library professionals (such as Peel DSB) and I am not clear why this wasn't possible to mimic elsewhere. I am also not dismissing the other incredible programs that exist - e.g. music education. (My school's music teacher is devastated. So much joy comes from making music, from singing, from putting on performances - and all of these elements have been eliminated. I wrote about the positive mental health benefits to music in my blog a few weeks ago.) The difference, I contend, is that the position of a school library profession was not only possible to uphold in this environment, but more necessary than ever because of our current COVID environment.

I'll share some of the reactions I've seen on social media to this news ...

Without Library Learning Commons, our students lose so many viewpoints on the world, ways of learning, and countless tools to support their learning - and well-being. I am so sad to hear this.

— Jimmy Steele (@broadwayprofe) September 5, 2020

A school librarian is an educator who connects our school to the best resources in our library & online. They build a collection of engaging & thoughtful learning materials for our community. They are tech experts who team teach with staff & students. We need teacher-librarians. https://t.co/DmtwEXb1j3

— Lesley Pysklywec (@KinderclassNPS) September 6, 2020

For many years as a teacher-librarian -- besides helping students & staff w/ print & electronic resources -- I've tried also to curate a space that is a centre for equity and human rights. Where children see themselves & their families. I feel the loss of school libraries deeply.

— Gordon Nore (@gordonnore) September 6, 2020

We will be fine, but as noted by many, it is a blow to the love of reading, literacy/tech initiatives, mental health, equity and school community building to not staff (and close) school library hubs. Students will be so disappointed. https://t.co/Flft0kmsj2

— Diana Will Stork (@TLWillStork) September 5, 2020

This decision is felt by the school community. Students, staff & parents will miss access to print resources, the teacher librarian’s insight & a space to meet, to collaborate and to read. #libraries

— Lisa Lewis (@MmeLisa_Lewis) September 5, 2020

Still trying to wrap my head around it...the impact is quite far reaching even beyond our own school communities (as I discussed with @scholasticCDA yesterday when I cancelled my book fair). It’s a true shame. Hugs to you- know you’re strong, but we all need support through this.

— Jen Byrne (@jenniferkbyrne) September 5, 2020

So disappointed, gutted, sad and angry. This doesn’t only impact Teacher-Librarians it impacts all students because it means no more access to print resources for the whole school community. 😔

— Larissa Aradj, OCT (@MrsGeekChic) September 5, 2020

So, now what? As tempting as it is to try and make everyone happy by keeping the school library collection open and available, this just isn't possible. 

I'm relieved to hear that people are not taking this news lightly. Different groups are organizing and attempting to make it loud and clear that they have serious objections to this plan. I do not want to reveal anything that I do not have permission to share. I will update the blog if/when I am allowed to share more information about these efforts.

And I want to thank my friends and colleagues who have reached out to me, via text, DM, tweets, and more, to check to see that I am okay. This includes (but is not limited to) Fiona H, Andrea P, Beth L, Andrea S, Diana H, Kelly I, Larissa I, Munazzah S, Jenn B, Carrie C, Denise C, Dawn T, Jess L, Michelle S, Chelsea A, Tracey T, Wendy B, and more. Like many other educators in the same boat, I do not know what I am teaching. I am grateful that I still have a job physically in a building (unlike others I know), that I am not in a financially unstable position (unlike others I know), that I currently have my health (unlike others I know), and that my spouse and children are safe. As I said at our equity training last Thursday, it is possible to recognize two viewpoints that may appear to be at odds (back then, it was that it is unfair that BIPOC educators are often expected to do the heavy lifting and lead equity training, and/but/yet, it is problematic to have white educators take the lead during equity training; right now I can state that I am unhappy with the way that school libraries have been "shelved", while simultaneously expressing how difficult it is to adequately staff schools in a safe manner.) We will survive, but at what cost?

In the meantime, enjoy virtual photos of my Webkinz school music room and school library, since you won't see some of those spaces in action for a while.