School Library Research Summarized (and newly updated)

(Note: I just realized that I created a draft of this post a few weeks back, but forgot to publish. Forgive me!)

Deb Kachel, my colleague at the Mansfield SL&IT, just shared her latest revision of School Library Research Summarized.

The revised booklet updates the work of Deb’s grad students in her Spring 2011 Advocacy course.  Used widely as an advocacy tool, the initial summary reviewed and charted

the characteristics of school library programs that resulted in improved student learning based on available research from statewide school library studies.

The newly revised edition includes five new studies (Colorado 2012, Kansas 2012, New Jersey 2011, New York 2012, and Pennsylvania 2012).  Deb notes that the Delaware, New Jersey and New York Studies are continuations of research cited in the first edition.

The newer studies use smaller samplings of surveys or focus groups

and drill down into particular aspects of school library programs, such as what quality programs look like, what effective school librarians do and their dispositions.  They also seek to learn what stakeholders—teachers, school administrators, librarians, students, and parents—value and think about the relationship between school library programs and academic success.

The booklet cogently describes and charts Major Findings from the Past Ten Years across the state studies (as well as Ontario) in the categories of: staffing, collaboration, instruction, scheduling, access, technology, collections, budgets, professional development and the achievement gap.

Deb recently launched a website where you will find the downloadable School Library Research Summarized booklet. The site serves to complement the Library Research Service Impact Studies site and update Scholastic’s School Libraries Work!, last published in 2008.

Filed under: advocacy, research, school libraries