Libraries’ Roles in Teaching Reading

* While it was heartening to see your Sept. 27 editorial calling for improved reading instruction and scores for California’s children, there was one omission: the important role public libraries play. Public librarians work hand in hand with parents and schools to help children learn to read, to do their homework, to expand their horizons. Parents, especially working parents, don’t always have the time or the resources to read to their children; their efforts are enhanced by the story times, special programs and summer reading programs routinely offered by their local libraries. Schools, after years of underfunding of their own libraries, rely on public libraries.

Any efforts to improve the reading abilities of California’s children should acknowledge (and expand) the important role our public libraries play.

PATRICIA WARREN

Children’s Librarian

Pasadena Public Library

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As a retired LAUSD librarian I applaud “School Libraries Are Getting Short Shrift” by Virgil Roberts and Jack Shakely (Commentary, Sept. 24), calling for more books and a central location for them. But as usual when we discuss books and children, the assumption seems to be made that either librarians are not needed or that they already exist. In fact, very few if any elementary schools have librarians. Title I schools have a three-hour-per-day library clerk; other schools assign the task to an already overworked classroom teacher or to that scarce commodity, the parent volunteer.

Why are school librarians required to have two credentials, both classroom teacher and library media teacher? Because they connect the child to the book, they reinforce curriculum and they show children how to find answers to their questions, independently. They teach them how to love what’s in a book. And frequently they are the bridge for both teachers and students to technology use. And let’s remember why the job of librarian came into existence--they keep track of the books so that the collection grows instead of being lost in lockers.

Let’s bring our standard up to that of other states: libraries with a trained librarian and a minimum of 15 books per student.

FAYE GRIFFITH

Los Angeles