Why should school librarians be classified as instructional?
The role of the school library media specialist has changed radically since 1980. Library media specialists are instructional staff and school libraries are “classrooms.” Library media specialists teach students as well teachers about topics as diverse as copyright, plagiarism, taking useful notes, topic selection, evaluating web sites, citing sources, research skills, information literacy, technology skills of all kinds, and audiovisual operation and production to name a few. School library media centers provide access to books and technology for EVERY student in an efficient, cost-effective manner. Research demonstrates the effectiveness of good school libraries on student learning. Refer to the School Library Impact Studies on the website of the Library Research Service for specific studies from sixteen states as well as a wealth of support information.
