California Public School Library Act of
1998
Background
Information for School Library Funding
In 1998, the California Legislature enacted the California Public School Library Act. For the first time in California history, this Act established a separate and distinct line item in the state budget for the purchase of public school library books and electronic resources. During its first four years, 1998-2002, the Library Act was funded at $158,500,000 or approximately $28 for every California public school student each year.
q In late fall 2002 the Library
Act was reduced to approximately $33 million or $5.32 per student, an 80%
reduction from previous years.
q In early December 2002 the
Governor proposed a 3.66% across the board reduction in all education programs.
This would reduce the Library Act to approximately $31 million or $5.12 per
student.
q On December 16 the
Legislative Analyst’s Office proposed an alternative to the Governor’s
across-the-board reductions in education costs that includes the suspension of
the School Library Act.
q Currently the Legislature and
the Governor are wrestling with how to make mid-year budget adjustments to the
current FY 2002-2003 budget. Since we have already taken an 80% cut, we are
asking that the Library Act be spared further reductions or suspension.
q On Friday, January 10, the
Governor will announce his proposed budget for FY 2003-2004. Understanding that
every program will face reductions, we are asking that some level of Library
Act funding be maintained for continuity, so we don’t get farther behind.
Prior
to the Legislature’s enactment of the California Public School Library Act of
1998, funding for school libraries competed with other compelling needs at the
local level. The consequences were:
q Reduced Federal categorical
funding and reduced state funding due to Proposition 13 resulted in reduced
library funding. School library collections became antiquated and California
school libraries descended to last in the nation for quality of school
libraries. (The Crisis in California School
Libraries, A Special Study, CDE, 1986)
q Inequities were exacerbated
between students in rich districts and students in poorer districts. While all
students suffered in terms of access to current books, research materials and
electronic resources, students in poorer districts generally suffered more. (LeMoine, Brandlin, O’Brian and McQuillan, 1997)
q Reading scores fell in part due to the
lack of current stimulating reading materials in school libraries. Credible
research published in 2000 in Colorado, Alaska, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Oregon
demonstrates a strong correlation between the quality of school libraries and
student reading scores.
The Success of the
California Public School Library Act
The following chart illustrates two areas of progress achieved under the Library Act.
|
|
1998
Act |
2001-2002 |
National Average |
|
Average copyright date of a California school library
book
|
1972 |
1987 |
N/A |
|
Average number of books per California student |
10.9 |
13 |
20 |
Other
benefits from the Library Act
|
Technologies for Students, K-12 Library Act
funds have allowed California school libraries to provide access to resources
through the use of technology. CDE Online Survey
2001-2002 |
|
|
California
K-12 School Libraries |
Available
Technology |
|
83% ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |
Automated library
catalogs and automated circulation |
|
82% ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |
Research resources
through Internet access in the library |
|
35% ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |
Online access to
full-text periodicals |
q All California students
benefit equitably because all districts are funded equitably by state budgetary
support of their school libraries.
q Districts maintain local
control to build their school library collections as each district determines
its own needs and goals.
q With the assurance of
on-going state funding for school libraries, school districts can implement
long-range planning for the restoration of their school library book
collections and electronic resources.
q Growing school library
collections are becoming a cost-effective way to share resources across curriculum
areas, grades, and even between schools.
q For the twenty-year period
prior to the Library Act, school library assistance was not available from the
California Department of Education. Demand for assistance in school library
development from schools, districts, and county offices has led to the
restoration of professional library leadership from the California Department
of Education.
What we are Asking
For
the benefit of the education of our students the California Public School
Library Act of 1998 must continue. Funding for public school library books
and electronic resources must be maintained in the state budget as a
separate and distinct line item even if it is necessary to continue at a
reduced level for 2002-2003. No matter how bad the budget is children still
need library books to read.