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District media specialist flags steep drop in high‑school circulation; officials propose phased collection refresh and staffing changes
Summary
The district’s media specialist reported a sharp decline in library checkouts at the high school and older average publication dates across the district’s collections; administrators proposed an inventory, use of a vendor collection service and adding media‑staff capacity at the high school.
Claudia Verbil, the district’s library/media specialist, told the Saint Francis Area Schools board on Sept. 22 that district library collections are aging and that student circulation — particularly at the high school — has fallen sharply over the past decade.
Verbil said the district’s collections total about 78,000 volumes and that average publication dates in some subject areas are decades old. At the high school she reported a decline from roughly 13,000 checkouts a decade ago to about 1,300 last year — a nearly 90% decrease in physical circulation.
“To present books that have countries that don't exist anymore to our students does not serve our curriculum needs,” Verbil told the board, noting the middle‑school average book age and specific gaps in maps and geography materials.
Verbil recommended an inventory and a phased collection refresh, beginning with a single library this year and expanding as funding allows. She said the district has discussed using Follett Destiny (the library‑management vendor) and a collections expert to remove outdated items and build a multi‑year replenishment list.
She also suggested increasing media staffing at the high school so one staff member (currently a part‑time position shared with career counseling) would not be responsible for both career counseling duties and rebuilding the collection.
Board members asked whether decreased circulation reflected fewer students reading or the absence of current titles. Verbil said other schools in the district that have an active media specialist and new materials saw increases in circulation; Cedar Creek Elementary, she said, recorded a 46% increase, which she attributed to targeted programming and newer books.
Superintendent Susan Anderson also presented district academic results during the same report block, saying recent MCA (state assessment) results showed increases in math and reading proficiency and noting targeted plans to keep growth moving forward, including literacy and math coaching and curriculum review. Anderson highlighted that the district had “the highest proficiency in the past four years in both math and reading” and listed grades showing gains.
Ending: The board received the report and asked staff to return with follow‑up details. Verbil said the immediate next steps are a physical inventory and a prioritized replenishment plan tied to available funding; staffing changes would be considered as part of future budgeting.
