High School Library Space Is Open, Not Staffed

by | Sep 20, 2017

The School Committee took up the issue of the lack of a library media specialist at East Greenwich High School at its meeting Tuesday night. While Principal Michael Podraza has figured out a way to open the library space itself – technology staffer Donna Wales has moved her office there – it remains without a library media specialist.

“There’s no substituting the lack of a library media specialist in that space,” Supt. Victor Mercurio conceded.

The cut of a library media specialist was made in June. The Town Council level funded the schools this year but did provide some budget relief by taking on some non-educational school expenses (such as the salary for the finance director). Still, the contribution from the town was considerably less than the schools had requested. In June, the School Committee was faced with cutting French at Cole, some athletics, Chromebooks at EGHS or cutting a library media specialist. At the time, according to School Committee Chair Carolyn Mark, the hope was that Cole and EGHS could share a librarian.

“The scheduling threw a monkey wrench into the process,” Mark said. She was referring to changes to teacher planning time made to the schedule at Cole Middle School.

So, in August, it was decided to cut the library media specialist at the high school.

Mercurio said the lack of a LMS at the high school was concerning but that the high school would not lose its accreditation. Still, he said, the accreditation organization (NEASC) would “in all likelihood” tell East Greenwich it needed to “figure this out and figure it out soon.”

School Committee member Matt Plain asked how the lack of an LMS might affect the district’s effort to meet the Basic Education Plan (BEP). Mercurio said he wasn’t sure.

“If we’re falling below our BEP obligation, we would certainly want to contemplate going to the Town Council for a supplemental appropriation,” Plain said, referring to the Town Council’s offer to give over additional funds if the School Committee felt an education requirement was at stake.

“I would cringe to see us go a whole school year without a library media specialist,” said committee member Jeff Dronzek. He also encouraged the committee to consider asking the Town Council for supplemental money.

When Mark opened up the meeting to public comment on the issue, Hanaford library media specialist Beth Gorter spoke of her extensive duties and about the importance of that role both for students and teachers, helping with technology as well as more traditional book cataloguing. But she also addressed the specific needs of high school students.

“The librarian is the person whose duty it is to teach our students, at all age levels, how to be responsible, ethical and efficient users of information, wherever that information comes from and especially if it comes from the internet,” she said. “Having students go from a high school with no certified library media specialist into college is unthinkable.”

“I think it’s just a shame that there hasn’t been another idea of how we get around this,” said resident Nancy Semonian Day. “Kids have only one place they can go for academics.”

“We all understand that the School Committee was placed in an impossible position when the Town Council level funded the budget last year,” said resident Kate Goldman. “But I’m disappoint to see … a lack of innovation …  a lack of energy around these issues.”

Goldman referred to a comment made by a resident during the spring about what he saw as an excessive budget line for photocopies and printing, and she mentioned the possibility of negotiating lower electricity rates with National Grid.

Like Day and Gorter, Goldman also touched on spending on athletics. While all three said they supported school athletics, they questioned the lose of a librarian to spending on sports.

“You could take 10 percent off the top of every team,” Goldman suggested.

She encouraged the School Committee to be creative.

“We need to start thinking differently about this stuff.”

Chairwoman Mark said the School Committee would “explore other options.”

– Elizabeth F. McNamara

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Holly Barton
Holly Barton
September 20, 2017 10:43 am

The lack of a certified library media specialist at East Greenwich High School will give a black eye to the entire school system. Beth Gorter’s remarks to the school committee are right one. A certified LMS is essential to continuing the development of information literacy that has been taught to students from the elementary level to the end of their careers In high school and higher education.

Mary Ward
Mary Ward
September 20, 2017 5:21 pm

While the SC figure out how to find a certified LMS for the HS, could we not for example rotate a LMS 6-8 hours per day for 4 days/week from the other schools (Frenchtown, Meadowbrook, Hannaford, Eldredge and Cole)? I know it’s hardly ideal but wouldn’t it be better to have all libraries staffed and fully functional for 4-4.5 days per week than one not fully functional all of the time? Alternatively, skim funds from extracurricular programs that can conduct fundraising so that a fundamental academic resource can be provided?

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