EveryLibrary Celebrates PARSL and Philadelphia School District's Revolutionary Approach to Restoring School Libraries

EveryLibrary is thrilled to celebrate the recent success of the Philadelphia Alliance to Restore School Librarians (PARSL) and the School District of Philadelphia in securing a $150,000 federal grant from the U.S. Institute of Museums and Library Services. This grant will play a pivotal role in developing a comprehensive plan to revive school libraries across the district, which currently has just one full-time librarian.

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This grant will play a pivotal role in developing a comprehensive plan to revive school libraries across the district, which currently has just one full-time librarian.

Do you know that:

• Two out of three children in Philadelphia cannot read on grade level by 4th grade. (Click to Tweet)
• Children who can’t read on grade level by 4th grade are six times more likely to drop out of school. (Click to Tweet)
• Research shows that students who attend schools with full-time, professional school librarians score significantly better on reading tests than students whose schools don’t have librarians. (Click to Tweet)
• Philadelphia had 176 librarians for 259 schools in 1991, but the district stopped funding school librarian positions in the late 1990s and closed its Office of School Libraries in the mid-2000s. (Click to Tweet)
• The School District of Philadelphia currently only has the equivalent of TWO full-time certified librarians for its 217 schools and 116,000+ students. (Click to Tweet)

Monthly donations from people like you have allowed EveryLibrary to provide pro-bono support to PARSL for a number of years. We were proud to support a rally in 2020 in front of the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) Administration Building to call for restoring school librarian positions in Philadelphia city schools and in districts around the state. Since then, we have provided pro-bono consulting, funded their website, helped them conduct candidate surveys, and spent significant money on rallying Americans to sign petitions and send emails to support student access to school libraries across the city. 

A monthly donation of just $5 allows us to continue supporting school libraries across the country!

This grant is a significant milestone in the fight to bring back school libraries in Philadelphia. We applaud PARSL's unwavering dedication and the School District's commitment to revitalizing these vital educational resources. The work ahead will lay a foundation for a stronger, more equitable future for all students in Philadelphia.

We believe this initiative represents a revolutionary approach to addressing the educational and informational needs of Philadelphia's students. This strategic plan will not only restore libraries but also empower a new generation of students with essential skills in information literacy, media literacy, and digital citizenship—skills that are more critical than ever in our rapidly evolving digital world.

Sign the petition to ensure students have access to school librarians!

EveryLibrary is proud to stand with PARSL and the School District of Philadelphia as they embark on this transformative journey. Together, we are building a brighter future where every student has access to the resources and support they need to succeed.