Letter: School libraries could use the help

Can it be true that Burbank school board members did not know until recently that several elementary school libraries had closed (“District clears way for books,” Nov. 21)? I thought that the only elected officials who didn’t know what was happening on their watch were Burbank City Council members.

In any event, it’s wrong that volunteers are no longer able to assist teachers in Burbank’s public school libraries. How difficult can it be to check books in and out and put them back on the shelves? Opening up a child’s world through reading ought to take precedence over someone’s union job. But it appears Burbank Unified School District’s classified employees union is holding the district hostage when it insists that only its classified employees can oversee the above-mentioned library tasks. So goodbye volunteers, and the libraries are forced to close. How can a school offer a superior education when there is no open library on the premises? It’s a vital part of a student’s curriculum.

Physical education and art programs have all but disappeared in public schools; guess it’s just a matter of time until libraries, like the school nurse, will be no more.

Molly Shore
Burbank