Celebrating School Library Wins

April is School Library Month, an annual celebration of the essential roles school libraries play in transforming learning. It was launched by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) in 1985. Since then, school libraries have been encouraged to showcase their work and achievements each April so their communities and schools understand and appreciate what they do.

Unfortunately, the fortieth anniversary of School Library Month comes at a time of unprecedented challenges to school libraries, not least the increased challenges to books and calls for censorship. The pressure from both local community members issuing challenges and from people with no ties to the school district has resulted not only in books being pulled from shelves but also in librarians not purchasing books they fear will be targeted.

But not all people agree that books should be banned, and everything from small, grassroots local efforts to national initiatives is showing signs of success. One such initiative is Save School Librarians, an EveryLibrary program that delivers targeted outreach and activism to school libraries that need support and help. The program provides training guides for school library activists to build political and organizing power with the advice and support of EveryLibrary. Read on to learn what successes can help you take heart.

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Supporting School Libraries and Librarians

One example of EveryLibrary’s success with Save School Librarians happened in New Jersey, culminating in a late 2024 law enacted at the state level prohibiting school and public library book bans. The law states that books may not be banned because of the origin, background, or views of the material or its authors, while allowing restriction of developmentally inappropriate material for certain age groups.

Another exciting success happened in Colorado, where the Sheridan district’s high school brought its previously defunct library back to life. The former superintendent had asked voters to fund a school librarian and materials when he discovered many people in the community didn’t realize the high school didn’t have a library. When the funding passed, the library reopened—and has become a central, much-beloved resource for students.

In Philadelphia, school libraries have long struggled with inadequate funding and staffing. But in 2024, the district posted an opening for a new library director position, sparking optimism that change is on the way (and supported by this initiative). One elementary school used discretionary funds to hire a new school librarian.

A 2024 vote by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will provide funding for more school and public libraries to offer free wifi hotspots for students to check out. Previously, the funding allowed schools and libraries to provide hotspots for use within the school buildings only. Now, they can allow students to take them home. There are still many families in the US without access to reliable internet, which makes it increasingly difficult to do everything from finishing a homework assignment to accessing remote healthcare.

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Honoring School Library Month

So what can people do to honor School Library Month and celebrate the amazing people who work in school libraries to provide countless resources to students every year? Here are a few suggestions:

• Thank a Library Worker. Let your child’s librarian know how valuable they are to you. Gifts are nice, but a heartfelt thank you—and a commendation to the librarian’s supervisor—are equally valuable. If your child is particularly fond of the library, ask them to write a letter or draw a card demonstrating that.
• Visit the Library. Take a tour and see what the library offers. You may very well be surprised at the breadth and depth of offerings.
• Volunteer. Many parents volunteer in their children’s classrooms, but school libraries can also benefit from volunteers. Contact your school library to see if that’s possible and what help they need.
• Attend Events Sponsored by the Library. Many libraries hold events such as special storytimes, after-school book swaps or book tastings (students try books from new-to-them genres), STEM nights, or author events. Take the whole family and invite your neighbors!
• Host a Library Staff Lunch. You can do this by yourself or with help. Check with your school’s food requirements to determine if homemade foods can be brought in or need to be commercially made. Treat the library staff to something different than cafeteria food.
• Create a Library Scavenger Hunt for Your Library. It can be silly or serious and can include anything from finding a book with a color in the title to finding a book with a unicorn on the cover.
• Help with Fundraising. Could your school library use some help with new materials? Organize a book drive to collect books the library staff would love to have available for their students. Another option is to collect funds for a gift card to buy the materials themselves. (Make sure you check your school’s policies on donations first.)

Want to help school libraries successfully defeat the challenges against them? A great place to start is the Save School Librarians home page, where you can sign petitions and send emails to support school libraries. School libraries are invaluable resources that deserve support.

Visit www.everylibrary.org to learn more about our work on behalf of libraries.

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