Re: US School Library Usage Down

[Josephine Dervan <rderva@injersey.com>]

Dan -

I agree with you about the amount of books that are taken out when a
class visits regularly vs the amount of books taken out when a class
doesn't have a regularly scheduled period. My aide whose daughter was a
6th grade Library helper, reports that in 2 years of Middle School she
NEVER took out a library book. Needless to say there is no regularly
assigned Library class in the Middle School.

We have a literature based reading program and there is reading going on
in Language classes. So some of our students don't feel the need for
additional reading. In our upper grades there is a monthly book report.
Those students will take out the book report book for a month but are
reluctant to take out anything else because they have to read the first
book.

I have been in this business for 20+ years (I'm not that old, I began in
h.s.) and in that time I have seen a marked decline in reading. I think
a lot of the blame for this state of affairs is the fact that there are
more diversions now to occupy children's time. We now have video games,
cable tv and even the Internet to lure children from a good book. This
is the reason I find it hard to criticize the reading of Animorphs and
Goosebumps because at least they're reading something.

The bottom line is that my job of "selling" books is harder than ever. A
gimmick like the Rugrats bookmarks as a reward for taking out any book
usually does wonders for circulation statistics in the upper grades.

Happy Holidays to all!
Jo
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Josephine Dervan
Library Media Specialist
Strathmore Elementary School
Aberdeen, New Jersey, USA 07747

Home-rderva@injersey.com
School-jdervan@marsd.k12.nj.us

PC/Windows95, Netscape 3/Netscape Mail

"Anyone who has a library and a garden wants for nothing"- CICERO

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