Open and Accessible: The Relationship between Closures and Circulation in School Library Media Centers.

Abstract

A hallmark of school library media best practice is for the library media center to be open and accessible to patron use before, during, and after the school day and throughout the entire school year.Anecdotal evidence and informal discussion among school library media specialists indicate that library media facilities are sometimes used for activities unrelated to the mission of the school library media program in the school.These activities may close the library media center to regular patron use for all or part of the school day.This study surveyed school library media specialists in two states and examined the reasons that school library media centers are closed as well as the effect of the closure on circulation.Results indicate that the three most commonly reported reasons for closure of the school library media center were preparation for the end of the school year, book fairs, and standardized testing.The only predictor of school library media center closures was the poverty level of the school.No effect was found on the number of materials circulated.

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