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Educators urge Durham Public Schools to protect and fund library media centers

Durham Public Schools Board of Education ยท March 6, 2026

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Summary

Library media staff told the board that school library media centers are active instructional hubs and asked the board to preserve licensed media coordinators and per-capita funding, citing sharp increases in circulation and student engagement at several secondary schools.

At the same Durham Public Schools budget hearing, library media staff and teacher-librarians urged the board to continue prioritizing library media centers and staffing.

Kim Gugino, DPS high school media lead, described library media centers as "active, vibrant parts of the school day" and asked the board to "continue to prioritize our library media centers by hiring and retaining licensed media coordinators and by providing adequate funding for books, programming, and resources that support literacy instruction in every school." She cited examples across the district: Jordan High School's circulation had increased "74% compared to this time last year," Northern reported a 33% increase and Durham School of the Arts hosted events serving more than 1,000 students.

Caroline Herbert, library media coordinator at Hillside High School, said consistent per-capita media funding has allowed her to maintain a collection that supports IB and diploma students' extended research projects. "Cutting library funding or positions means cutting access to books, technology, trusted adults, and stability for the students who rely on us most," she told the board.

Board members acknowledged the difficulty of budget choices but heard library staff say that reductions would have meaningful instructional and equity consequences. The district did not take any budget votes at the hearing; staff said Phase 2 will include updated cost estimates and the board will discuss priorities again at a work session next Thursday.