"What Works": Research You Can Use

Volume 30, Number 5, June 2003

School Library Media Programs and Academic Achievement

Research Finding:

The positive impact of the school library media program is consistent: If you were setting out a balanced meal for a learner, the school library media program would be part of the main course, not the butter on the bread (Lance & Loertscher, 2003).

Comment:

The results of studies from more than 3,300 schools in Alaska, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas yield consistent results: Reading scores tend to rise with levels of:

• Professional and support staff in the school library;
• The size of the library collection;
• Spending on library collections; and
• The extent of school-wide networks that extend access to collection resources.

That Is, More is Better

Higher levels of teacher-librarian staffing are associated with:

• Longer library hours;
• Higher levels of library staff activity;
• Higher student usage; and consequently,
• Higher test scores.

The impact of library programs on academic achievement cannot be explained away by other school or community conditions.

School conditions include:

• Teacher-pupil ratio;
• Per pupil spending; and
• Characteristics of teachers

Community conditions include

• Poverty;
• Low adult education; and
• Race/ethnicity

Students and teachers who take advantage of this information-rich and technology-rich environment can expect:

• Capable and avid readers;
• Learners who are information literate; and
• Teachers who are partnering with the teacher-librarian to create high-quality learning experiences

When these happen, scores can be expected to be 10-20 percent higher than in schools without this investment

It’s worth it.

Source:

Lance, K., & Loertscher, D. (2003). Powering achievement: School library media
programs make a difference: The evidence. (2nd ed.). San Jose: Hi Willow Research and Publishing. 133 pp. ISBN 0-931510-84-8. Distributed by LMC Source.