School Librarians in Galesburg Under Threat

Sign the petition today to keep school librarians in Galesburg school libraries!

In Illinois, the Galesburg School District’s administration recently proposed cutting 7 of the 8 librarians for next year in order to save money. This short sighted proposal would mean that there is only one remaining school librarian who would serve as the District Librarian and would be stationed at the high school. Even worse, only 1 of their 4 blocks would be dedicated to library work. This means that the District Librarian would only have 1/4 of their day to maintain the entire collection for the whole district. The district is comprised of 4,500 students in 5 elementary schools, 2 junior highs, and 1 high school. The other 7 school libraries will be staffed with aides who will be tasked to check books in and out to students and complete a yearly inventory. Please sign the petition to the school board and help keep school librarians in their schools!

Ironically, the state board recently heard from dozens of people across Galesburg about the importance and impact that school librarians have on student achievement. This occurred when the Illinois State Board of Education visited Galesburg to get community feedback about ESSA, the Every Student Succeeds Act which allows provisions for funding for school librarians.

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