For Immediate Release
March 22, 2001
For Information Contact
Rosalie Vlach

Washington, DC. - The U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) will hold a hearing on the status of school libraries and the importance of information literacy. The hearing “School Librarians: Knowledge Navigators Through Troubled Times” will take place on Thursday, April 26, 2001, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Cincinnati Public Library (South Building), Huenefeld Tower Room, 800 Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio.

NCLIS is charged by law to "…conduct studies, surveys, and analyses of the library and informational needs of the Nation, including the special library and informational needs of rural areas, of economically, socially, or culturally deprived persons, and of elderly persons, and the means by which these needs may be met through information centers, through the libraries of elementary and secondary schools, and institutions of higher education, and through public, research, special, and other types of libraries…."

The Commission has long recognized the strong relationship between school library media programs and student achievement and the importance of information literacy to student empowerment, freedom of choice, quality of life, business and citizenship in a democracy. The 1975 NCLIS publication, Toward a National Program for Library and Information Services: Goals for Action, stated:

The school library gives children and youth their first exposure to information resources and molds their information behavior for the future—the school library plays an essential part in readying them for an adult role in society.

The Commission believes that preparing people for lifelong learning begins with a school library media program that is integrated into the school's curriculum. Recent research has concluded that one of the foremost factors predicting student success (after the most important factor of parent involvement) is the availability of a well–stocked library run by a professional librarian.

Many school library media programs are faced with low or nonexistent budgets as well as non-certified or no personnel in school library media programs. A survey by the School Library Journal which covered the 1997-1998 school year, noted that although the average school library budget increased by $1,000, the increase returned libraries to the buying power of four years earlier, when the average book cost 9 percent less.

NCLIS Chairperson Martha Gould said, “The role of the school librarian or the school library media center must not be understated. The school library is the place where students develop the skills necessary to become effective information users capable of locating, interpreting, analyzing and evaluating information. The skills for life-long learning must begin at an early age through adequate, credible and up-to-date information, therefore, we must be certain that funds for school media center personnel and material are not diverted to other projects.”

In examining the issues, the Commission will specifically address:

• The Role of the School Librarian in Student Performance
  • How is student performance affected by having a well-equipped library and a professionally trained staff?

• The Role of the School Librarian in the Curriculum
  • How does the school librarian’s involvement in the development and active participation in the curriculum influence student success?

• The Role of the School Librarian in Promoting and Sustaining Literacy
  • How do school librarians address, promote and sustain literacy, including the student’s ability to read and understand the written word and to appreciate the role that diverse cultures play in learning?

• The Role of the School Librarian in Promoting and Sustaining Information Literacy
  • How do school librarians help students to develop the ability to identify, access, and evaluate information resources for problem solving, that is, the skills needed to move from literacy to information literacy?

• The Role of the Federal government in Supporting School Libraries In his book A Charge to Keep, President Bush wrote, “The federal government should fund only what works in education, only those methods and ideas that prove their power to close the achievement gap.”
  • What is the impact of federal government support for school libraries and how should future needs be met?

The Commission invites school library media specialists, librarians, teachers, parents, students, legislators and representatives from educational associations, institutions and organizations, and the general public to present testimony regarding current issues affecting school library media centers. Persons interested in presenting oral statements should notify Rosalie Vlach by e-mail rvlach@nclis.gov; telephone 202-606-9200; or fax 202-606-9203, by Friday, April 13, 2001. Due to time constraint, and in order to hear from a wide range of sources, the Commission may be unable to honor all requests. However, there may be time after the formal presentations for comments from the floor. The hearing room accommodates up to 100 persons.

Written comments for the record are requested and will be accepted before, during, or up to 30 days after the hearing. All comments must be received at NCLIS no later than the close of business on Monday, May 29, 2001, to become part of the hearing record.

The U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science is a permanent, independent agency of the Federal government charged by Public Law 91-345 to appraise the adequacies and deficiencies of current library and information resources and services and to advise the President and Congress on national and international library and information policies and plans.