Budget reduction woes & support

[Jamie Boston <jamieb@DCN.DAVIS.CA.US>]

Dear Netties,
        Ah woe is me!  It is budget reduction time again in my district and,
as always, we are on the top of the list. Lest any of you respond as you did
last year, that we need to do a better PR job so that this doesn't happen,
let me assure you, our PR is just fine. We are hosting the CSLA Northern
section symposium in March.  We were the CSLA state conference "model site
visit" in 1996. Our programs are exemplary and we have all garnered many
awards, grants and honors.  All that is for naught when budget cutting time
comes around. The bottom line is that we are not in a classroom - nurses,
music teachers, psychologists, etc. are all in jeopardy as well.  The
current proposal is to have two librarians cover all eight elementary sites
and reduce all district library clerks (K-12) by 30%. (Since my clerks are
only 7 hours to begin with, there is no way I can even keep the doors open
with a 30% reduction.)
        I wrote to Ken Umbach, whom I met on LM_NET, and asked for help.  He
has visited my one school (I currently serve two) and I thought he could
speak to the issue with some authority.  Boy did he ever! His response was
so eloquent that I asked him to share it.  He has given me permission to
post the letter he wrote to the Board of Education (with specific references
to my district removed) so that you might use selected quotes if you ar ever
in such dire straits.

I have been asked to comment on  the proposal to eliminate elementary
librarians.  I am offering these comments on my own time and strictly from a
personal point of view.  My view is, however, informed by extensive use and
study of information resources and recent examination of the role of computer
technology in K-12 education.

Librarians are not becoming less necessary with the growth of the Internet
and electronic resources, such as CD-ROM encyclopedias.  Rather, the growing
extent, complexity, and sophistication of information resources for students
and teachers, in my view, are making librarians with a good grasp
of the range of digital AND print resources even more vital to effective
schools.

It is inviting to believe that students will be able to "surf the Net" to
find information without the assistance of librarians, or that teachers can
select resources without such assistance themselves.  Rather, librarians are
needed to assist students and teachers in navigating the available resources
and in evaluating what is in fact sound and valuable in a digital
sea of often dubious material.  (Many -- probably most -- teachers are still
unfamiliar with digital resources or understandably too busy with their
classroom work to master access and application.)

Librarians are also a key in developing Web pages to facilitate access (by
students and teachers alike) to the countless first-rate resources that are
available on the Worldwide Web and to tailor selections to the specific
curriculum needs of each school.  There is no generic guide to online
resources that is perfectly suited to every school.  Tailoring resource
selections requires librarians' understanding of information resources and
first-hand knowledge of the school, its curriculum, its own resources, and
the strengths and opportunities afforded by its teachers.

Finally, even in a digital age, printed books, magazines, and other
resources remain tremendously important.  Those resources take time, work,
and knowledge to select and manage.  No one ever looks back and says "Gee,
I wish I had read less when I was in school," or would prefer to have had
poorer access to good books and magazines or less understanding of how to
find information.  No one has, to the best of my knowledge, ever bemoaned
the excess zeal of students in reading.  Rather, the consensus is that
reading, from the earliest possible age, is good and that it helps to
develop life-long learners who can continue their own education once they
leave school and can cope with changing job requirements and the varied
information needs of daily life.

The question is always "how can we encourage more and better reading?"  One
key is to provide the best libraries and most capable librarians that are
feasible within each school's and each district's resources.

Respectfully submitted for your consideration,

Ken Umbach
--
>Kenneth W. Umbach, Ph.D., Policy Analyst
>California Research Bureau, California State Library
>Sacramento, California
>E-mail: kumbach@unlimited.net or kumbach@library.ca.gov
>Phone (voice) 916-653-6002 (fax) 916-654-5829
>Personal Web page and selected papers: http://members.unlimited.net/~kumbach
>This message reflects my opinion, not that of my employer or anyone else.


If you are so moved to send messages of support, they need to be received by
Thurs., Feb 26th.
Our Board members and their email addresses are:
ruasmund@dcn.davis.ca.us - Ruth Asmundson
jsallee@cpec.ca.gov - Joan Sallee
 jrmunn@jps.net - John Munn
mswest@ucdavis.edu - Marty West
dnsaylor@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us - Don Saylor

Thank you for any and all help you are able to give.:-)


______________________________________
Jamie Murphy Boston, Librarian
A KidsConnect Volunteer
Davis Joint Unified School District
Birch Lane Elementary, 1600 Birch Ln.
&  Pioneer Elementary, 5212 Hamel St.
Davis, CA 95616
916-757-5395/5413(FAX)
& 757-5480/5423(FAX)
jamieb@dcn.davis.ca.us
Visit the Birch Lane Home Page at http://www.birchlane.davis.ca.us

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