Budget Cuts

[brichard Barbara Richards <brichard@CLN.ETC.BC.CA>]

I've closely followed the recent discussions on the proposed
Library cuts in California and Victoria, B.C. and have another
instance to report. Last night our School Board chose to cover
recent budget cuts by eliminating teacher-librarian positions
"where possible" (whatever that means - probably any t-l's
who are not giving teachers' prep. time) and hiring library
technicians. (In the meantime, they chose to "protect" secretarial
time - a real educational step forward.) I'm not looking for
anything specificfrom all of you out on the "Net" - I know
the sympathy & understanding is there. I just needed someone
to "dump" on. Thanks!
Rather than just sit back, feeling helpless - and hopeless -
I'm sending the following letter to each Board Member.

  "I feel that I must do something, however small, to express my
dismay at your recent decision regarding budget cuts.  I am
truly saddened and disheartened by your choice to cut teacher-
librarian positions. Today, in this the "Information Age", you
have chosen to deny our children the access to the best source
of information they have : the teacher-librarian.
   Who else is trained to locate information from the widest
variety of sources? Who else is trained to teach these location
skills to our students? Who else is willing to come in early
and stay late to help our students locate & process the inform-
ation they need? Who else is trained to work cooperatively with
teachers to plan units and lessons that make the best use of
resource based learning? Who else will attend professional
development sessions to keep abreast of new developments in
education and information services? Who else has been trained
to select appropriate learning materials for students of all
abilities? Who else will be responsible for keeping up with
all the changes in curricula and helping teachers incorporate
these changes into their classroom?
   Can a Library Technician fill the above job description?
I seriously doubt it. But I wish you every luck in finding
such paragons - the future of the children of Powell River
depends on it."

************************
Barbara Richards, Teacher-Librarian
Oceanview School, Powell River, B.C.
(604) 485-2756  Fax (604) 485-2759