Libraries

A quiet, secluded dark library with bookcases on either side and a bright light coming in through a window straight ahead with an empty chair near the window.
iStock/Getty
Reading & Literacy Here's What Students Miss Out on When Their Schools Lack Librarians
Some administrators think school librarians are obsolete, but these schools prove otherwise.
Elizabeth Heubeck, November 9, 2023
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6 min read
Scholastic reversed its decision to silo books about LGBTQ+ characters and people of color into an optional collection starting next January, based on feedback from authors and illustrators.
Scholastic reversed its decision to silo books about LGBTQ+ characters and people of color into an optional collection called "Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice," starting next January, based on feedback from authors and illustrators.
Photo courtesy of Debby Vandersande
Reading & Literacy Scholastic Reverses Controversial Decision to ‘Segregate’ Diverse Books
Four public school librarians and two experts said Scholastic's reversal on making diverse books optional is a step in the right direction.
Eesha Pendharkar, October 25, 2023
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7 min read
Shelley Ward
Shelley Ward, a teacher-librarian at the Charleston County’s Belle Hall Elementary School, assists a student. While teaching, she earned her master’s level school librarian certification through the district’s "grow-your-own" partnership with the University of South Carolina.
Photo courtesy of the Charleston County School District
Recruitment & Retention How This District Boosted Its Ranks of School Librarians—From Within
A South Carolina district partnered with a local university to grow its own teacher-librarians and fill vacancies.
Elizabeth Heubeck, October 18, 2023
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5 min read
Tidy vector hand drawn background with Books, Vintage cozy elements, printed publications, volumes of literature, retro library flying objects, decor textile, wrapping paper, wallpaper, textured pattern
Olga Kurbatova/iStock
Reading & Literacy Opinion Don’t Worry About 'Book Bans'
So-called “book bans” are a lot rarer—and more reasonable—than you might think, argue Max Eden and Jay P. Greene.
Max Eden & Jay P. Greene, September 15, 2023
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5 min read
A wall of 19 banned books with a bright blue AI button illuminating over top.
Visualization by Gina Tomko/Education Week + Getty
Reading & Literacy An Iowa District Used AI to Figure Out Which Books to Ban
An Iowa school district used AI to decide which books to ban to comply with a state law that bans materials with depictions of sex.
Eesha Pendharkar, August 21, 2023
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7 min read
Photo of empty school library
E+ / Getty
School & District Management One of the Country's Largest Districts Is Turning School Libraries Into Discipline Rooms
The Houston school district's decision to shut down libraries in 28 schools reflects a growing trend, according to advocates.
Elizabeth Heubeck, August 3, 2023
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6 min read
Photo of a caucasian, elementary or middle school aged boy browsing and reading a book in the library.
iStock/Getty
Reading & Literacy Want Kids to Read in the Summer? School Librarians Can Help
A literacy expert breaks down factors that impact students' summer reading—-and they all involve school librarians.
Elizabeth Heubeck, July 21, 2023
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5 min read
070523 middle school genius bar 01 BS
Students help repair laptops and work in the school library as part of the "Genius Bar," an IT help desk modeled on an Apple computer concept that is used at Anne M. Dorner Middle School near New York City.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Blye
Classroom Technology A Student-Staffed 'Genius Bar': Why It's Working for This Middle School
Starting a "Genius Bar" helped a suburban New York City school teach tech skills and support students' social-emotional needs.
Alyson Klein, July 5, 2023
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4 min read
Eliza Walton of Boise and Josie Backus of Nampa participate in a demonstration to read book titles that the Nampa School District is working to remove as dozens of people read those books sitting in the lawn in front of the school administration office during a school board meeting on June 16, 2022, in Nampa, Idaho.
Eliza Walton of Boise, Idaho, and Josie Backus of Nampa, Idaho, participate in a demonstration to read book titles that the Nampa school district is working to remove. The demonstration took place during a school board meeting on June 16, 2022, in Nampa, Idaho.
Sarah A. Miller/Idaho Statesman via AP
Reading & Literacy From Our Research Center How Students Are Reacting to Book Bans in Their Schools
When students know about bans, their interest in the titles increases, one-third of library staff said in a survey.
Eesha Pendharkar, June 28, 2023
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4 min read
Students read books in the Presidio Middle School library in San Francisco, Calif., on Sept. 10, 2019.
Students read books in the Presidio Middle School library in San Francisco, Calif., on Sept. 10, 2019. Most library staffers oppose banning books on any topic, according to an EdWeek Research Center Survey.
Paul Chinn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
Reading & Literacy From Our Research Center Most Library Staffers Think No Book Should Be Banned From Schools
Almost two-thirds of library personnel think no topic should be off limits when it comes to library books, according to an EdWeek Research Center survey.
Eesha Pendharkar, June 23, 2023
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5 min read
Blue toned photograph of a school library with the -chairs placed upside down on tables and bare shelves in the background.
iStock/Getty Images
Curriculum School Districts Struggle to Implement New Laws on Sexually Explicit Books
Some districts are using that law to remove certain books from schools altogether.
Madyson Fitzgerald, Stateline.org, June 19, 2023
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6 min read
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a news conference in Austin, Texas, on June 8, 2021.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a news conference in Austin, Texas, on June 8, 2021.
Eric Gay/AP
States Texas Bans ‘Sexually Explicit’ Books in Schools. Law ‘Gets That Trash Out,’ Gov. Greg Abbott Says
The bill was among four “parental empowerment” bills that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed.
Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, June 13, 2023
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2 min read
Reading & Literacy Reports Recent Book Ban Controversies: A National Survey of School Library Personnel
The EdWeek Research Center surveyed librarians and other staff members to gauge the impact of controversies about books in school libraries.
May 15, 2023
Trish Belenson, the librarian at Bella Vista Elementary School, returns books to the shelves at the library in Oakland, Calif. on Jan. 30, 2019.
Trish Belenson, the librarian at Bella Vista Elementary School, returns books to the shelves at the library in Oakland, Calif. on Jan. 30, 2019.
Paul Chinn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
Reading & Literacy What the Numbers Say About the Drop in School Librarians
Districts across the country lost school librarians over the pandemic, widening the inequities in which students had access to them
Gina Tomko & Eesha Pendharkar, April 27, 2023
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2 min read
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