School Libraries

Thank you for drawing attention to yet another of the LAUSD’s critical shortages--library books (“Students, Parents Help Schools Raise Funds for Libraries,” May 11). It is appalling that public school students in L.A. should have access to less than one-third the number of books per capita as the national average.

A society that devalues its schools is doomed to high crime, class division, racial unrest and ignorance. I doubt throwing more tax dollars at the problem is the answer, though if it were I would be in favor of it. I also suspect that a large part of the problem rests with a bloated school administration. Until we can bring our schools up to the standards of the rest of the country (at the very least!) we should all be ashamed.

DAN WITT

Studio City

* Regarding your article about ice cream sales to raise money for a school library: We have an education president, an education governor and an electorate that professes to rate education as its No. 1 priority.

Who of this group realizes that there is no education without reading, no reading without books? The most qualified people in the educational process are teachers and librarians, not administrators, not MBAs and not volunteers.

Do you realize that there are dwindling funds for books in every library, from elementary schools to the community colleges? And the solution is ice cream sales?

SYLVIA SPECTOR LAMONT

Gardena