Economy
The Decline and Evolution of the School Librarian
As school districts cut budgets, librarians’ jobs are dwindling and changing dramatically. What does that mean for students?
As students in Spokane, Washington, returned to school last week, they might have noticed something missing from their school libraries: librarians.
While the libraries themselves remain open, the district decided this summer to eliminate all school librarian positions from its 54 elementary, middle, and high schools. Shifting the way in which its schools provide library services is one way to address the district’s considerable $31 million budget shortfall, says Brian Coddington, a spokesman for the district. All librarians were offered teaching positions; clerks and classroom teachers are now in charge of managing the schools’ collections.