The state of Library Media Centers in Michigan Schools

[Thomas Anderson, MLS]

In the years following the research that went into the 2003 publication entitled: The Impact of Michigan School Librarians on Academic Achievement: Kids who have Libraries Succeed (http://www.mimame.org/pdfs/MichiganStudy.pdf) the public education community in Michigan has seen a dramatic denial of the conclusions of the study by Michigan's Superintendents and building level administrators across the state as evidenced by the increasing number of Districts that are reducing or altogether eliminating Certified Library Media Specialists in schools, in many cases abandoning even the pretense of providing a functional Library Media Center to the student bodies they are charged to serve. Even the NCA accreditation process no longer requires either libraries or professional staffing for libraries as a criteria for accreditation.

In this discussion I would seek input from educators serving in any discipline, at any level, about the state of Library Media Centers and professional, certified staffing (ND endorsed Library Media Specialists -- LMS) in your schools.

If you would please offer data in the following format, I will compile it and present the findings as a prelude to then launching a discovery as to trends and possible correlations to school success by our students. Please limit the reporting of LMS positions to certified (ND endorsed) Library Media Specialists.

Example:
Oscoda Area Schools: 4 buildings; NO Library Media Specialists (LMS). Elementary/MS buildings: no LMS since 1995, High School: no LMS since 2007.

Tawas Area Schools: 3 buildings; 2 elementaries: no LMS; combined Jr./Sr. high building: 1 LMS.

Please gather information and report on your District's state of affairs. Comments are always welcomed additions to the data.

And yes, for those who would reply that this information is available from the Feds on the DOE web site, I know that, however, after looking at the data for recent years for a particular District (I will not embarrass them in this forum by mentioning the name) I have found serious misrepresentation of the facts. So, as I trust real educators more than some others, I'll take my chances with collecting data from real teachers and library media specialists.

It will be interesting to see the number of changes around the state since the 2003 data was compiled and reported.

Have a great year,

Thomas Anderson, MLS

[Laura Amatulli]

Avondale schools for the past years have been replacing media specialists with parapros. There is one MLIS that is a MAME member at our middle school. The high school remains a para.
One media position was posted for a split elementary position. Instead of choosing a MLIS/MAME member who applied (with additional endorsements) they placed a teacher with K-5 certification (claiming that a K-5 cert is ALL SUBJECTS) in the position.

[Lisa Kennedy]

I am fortuante enough to work in Warren Consolidated that staffs all of its libraries with certified media specialists. My children, however, attending Utica schools, have no certified media specialists on staff. They did away with them two years ago, and replaced them, in part, with paraprofessionals.

[Tamela Blaszkowski]

Lake Shore Public Schools has a certified MLIS at each school in the district. 3 Elementary, 1 Middle and 1 High School. The elementary media specialist are on fixed scheduling.

I recently left Madison District Public Schools where I was the high school media specialist 1/2 time (after they brought me back from lay off). I was the only media specialist in the district. The 2 elementary and 1 middle school media centers were run by parapros. The high school was 1/2 time MLIS and 1/2 time parapro. When I left last year in August they did not, and have not, replaced me so there is no MLIS at Madison and no plans to bring one back.

[Anne Brainard]

Mona Shores Public Schools in Muskegon: 6 buildings; No Library Media Specialists (LMS) at four elementaries (1 full-time clerk in each), Middle School and High School both have certified LMSs with ND endorsements.

[Rita Hughes]

Chippewa Valley Schools has 2 high school media specialist (one at each high school), 4 middle school media specialists (one each for four middle schools), and 12 elementary media clerks (not teachers--one at each elementary school.

[Sally]

Belding Area Schools has one full time certified Library Media Specialist to manage four collections K-12.

[Lori Wetzel]

Fraser Public Schools had two certified media specialists - one at the high school and me. I am employed as the K-8 media specialist. While I am housed at the middle school, I am also in charge of the six elementary collections and facilities with clerks in each elementary handling day to day affairs.

Previous to Fraser, I was a media specialist in Utica Community Schools. Utica cut all of their secondary media specialists - 14 of them - effective the 2007-2008 school year and replaced them with parapros. The elementary media centers are staffed by certified teachers but not certified media specialists.

[Kirsten Almo]

Grand Ledge Public Schools:
1 high school - staffed by 1 certified LMS
2 middle schools - 1 certified LMS (me!) is shared between both schools & each school has 1 full-time library secretary
6 elementary schools - each staffed by a full-time library secretary

Kirsten Almo

[Gwenn Marchesano]

Whitmore Lake Public Schools has no certified media specialists. For 2007-08 the elementary and middle school media specialist positions were eliminated. The high school position was eliminated for the 2008-09 school year. Each building (3) will be staffed by fulltime media technicians (clerks).

[Linda Garrett]

Crestwood School District - Dearborn Heights
1 MLS (MAME member) with fixed schedule for three elementary schools. Each is also staffed with a parapro. This has been the status for at least the last ten years.
1 MILS (MAME member) split between the middle school and the high school as of the last two years. Additionally, each school has a library secretary. Two years ago I only taught at the high school and had a parapro, as well. The administration and Board members are very apologetic, but the bottom line is the bottom line. At this point, I'm very glad to have a job.

[P. Burnside]

Swan Valley School District; Saginaw, MI
2 part-time parapros at 2 elementaries
No one at middle school. I just got bumped back into the classroom. The school board decided to close the library, but are putting a spin on it now that parents have started to complain. Are now saying it will be open in a different capacity - whatever that means.
1 full time librarian at the one high school.

[MLincoln]

Lakeview School District (Battle Creek) has one certified library media specialist in the high school (grades 9-12) and one certified library media specialist in the middle school grades 5-8). The district’s four elementary buildings (K-4) are each staffed only by a secretarial/clerical position. Up until 2005, there was one certified media specialist at the elementary level. This position was eliminated and has not been restored. A full-time library secretary is employed at Lakeview High School but the middle school library secretarial position was cut in 2007-2008.