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Resident and volunteer urges return of librarians to Methuen grammar schools
Summary
At the March 24 meeting a long‑time volunteer and pastor, Daniel Stanley, urged the committee to restore certified librarians/media specialists to grammar‑school libraries, saying volunteers and teacher‑run libraries cannot replace trained media specialists.
Daniel (Dan) Stanley, a Methuen pastor and long‑time volunteer at the Marsh Grammar School library, used public comment at the March 24 meeting to press the school committee to restore certified library/media specialists across the district.
Stanley said he has run a weekly mobile book exchange for Marsh students for several years and that “less than half” of Marsh students have had regular access to a library; he said roughly 6 percent of Methuen students overall currently have library access. He praised recent book donations but urged the district to bring back paid library/media specialists who can teach research and digital‑citizenship skills rather than rely on teachers or volunteers to run libraries.
“What our libraries need are media centers specialists who will teach and guide our students so that their literacy will improve and that their imaginations will blossom,” Stanley told the committee; he identified himself in the written comments as a Marsh volunteer since 2011 and a pastor at Rivers of God in Methuen.
Committee members acknowledged the comment and the superintendent said media‑center specialists are included in the FY26 staffing requests presented later in the workshop. The administration also noted that some funding questions about hires are tied to the larger budget discussions now underway.
