Duluth commenter urges restoration of full-time library media specialists after 20.54% drop in checkouts

Kevin Anderson, a media specialist who says he serves both Denfeld High School and East High School, told the Duluth Public Schools listening session on Nov. 18 that a change from full-time to part-time media specialist positions has left him as the only licensed media specialist responsible for about 2,500 high school students.

Anderson said the staffing change has had “many negative impacts” and presented a quarter-to-quarter comparison showing library book checkouts are down 20.54% when comparing the first quarter of 2024 with the first quarter of 2025. He clarified that the figure refers only to library book checkouts, not textbook circulation, and said the decline is largest for voluntary reading checkouts rather than required classroom texts.

“The setup we moved to this year has had many negative impacts on our students and teachers,” Anderson said. “That means you’re getting a grasp on the situation.” He urged the board to “fully fund reading in the Duluth Public Schools by restoring the library media specialist position to full time in our middle schools and high schools,” saying the district motto is “every student every day.”

Anderson described last year’s staffing as full-time media specialists in middle and high schools and said this year those positions were changed to part time. He said he does not yet have a full-year comparison because the school year is ongoing but that the first-quarter checkout numbers are a measurable indicator of the program-level change.

The listening session did not include a district response or follow-up timeline in the transcript. The comment was made during the public comment portion of the Nov. 18 session; the board did not take a formal vote on staffing during the meeting.