Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Libraries topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public speakers and board press administration to address library staffing and access at Erie schools
Summary
At the March 12 Erie City School District board meeting, retired staff and volunteers described a near-collapse of day-to-day library services at multiple schools and asked the board to restore staffing and access; the board asked administration to include library staffing and options in upcoming budget discussions.
Retired district employee Barbara Zimmer told the Erie City School District Board of Directors on March 12 that multiple school libraries currently lack staff and that many students cannot check out books.
At a public-comment segment, Zimmer said the district went from nine full-time librarians to two and from 19 library clerks to six, and that students at several elementary and middle schools currently have no access to library checkout. “If you are a student at Connell, Edison, Eagles Nest, Emerson, Gridley, Grover, Piper Burley, Wilson or Strong Vincent, you can't access the library. There's no 1 there to check books out to,” Zimmer said.
The board heard similar accounts from longtime volunteer reader Paul Brown and volunteers Kathleen Brown and Frances Wilson, who described efforts to provide books and reading time and said students had asked repeatedly to take books home but were prevented because there is no staff to check them out. “There is no way you can take a book out of this library,” Brown said he was told at one school; volunteers said this prevents students from bringing books home.
Why it matters: Board members and volunteers framed the staffing shortfall as a service and equity issue that affects elementary literacy and students' out-of-school access to books. Several board members said they wanted the administration to present options and cost estimates as the district prepares its budget.
Board response: Director John Harkins asked the administration to include a focused presentation about library services, options and constraints in the budget discussion before budget adoption. Superintendent Luis Pulido and other administrators told the board they would include vacancy data, cost estimates and recommendations in upcoming budget presentations in April or May. Dr. Jay Brenneman, board president, confirmed the district will present what can and cannot be accomplished this year.
Background and context: Speakers said library staffing had declined following past budget cuts and was worsened by turnover after the COVID-19 period. Zimmer noted an increase in per-school materials budgets from $1,000 to $10,000 but said staffing shortages mean many schools lack personnel to operate a library. Volunteers described successful community reading programs that were curtailed by the lack of on-site staff.
Next steps: Board members asked administration to provide (1) vacancy counts for librarian and library clerk positions by school, (2) an estimate of the cost to restore one librarian to each elementary school, and (3) possible interim measures such as rotations, volunteer support or temporary clinic events to improve access. The administration agreed to include those items in the district's budget presentations to the board in April or May.
