How Students Utilize and Perceive Their School Library.

Abstract

ABSTRACT School library usage and middle school students' perceptions of the usefulness of their school library were examined in this study. 1,509 predominately Hispanic students attending rural public schools participated by completing an online survey regarding their school libraries. The vast majority of students surveyed reported that they used their school library. Findings suggest implications for decision-makers that would strengthen the effectiveness of public school libraries. Literacy is fundamental to all areas of the school curriculum; therefore, a strong middle school literacy program is imperative to help all students realize their academic potential. One factor that many proponents of literacy programs for struggling seem to agree on is a strong school library, also known as a library media center (Cunningham & Allington, 2010). Krashen (2009) made an excellent point when he stated, Both the popular media and professional literature are filled with suggestions on how to improve reading, but the one approach that always works is rarely mentioned: provide with a supply of interesting and comprehensible (p. 18). In addition to providing print and electronic reading materials, school libraries of today support literacy development in a multitude of ways, including instruction in informatics and technology skills that are needed to be successful in today's information economy (Kaplan, 2007). Research has shown a positive relationship between investment in school libraries and student achievement in reading and writing. For example, original studies in Colorado, later replicated in at least 20 other states, indicated that the level of library funding, staffing levels, collection size and range, and the instructional role of the librarian all had a direct impact on student achievement. (Lance & Loertscher, 2005). For more than 2.6 million students who were part of this study, higher achievement was realized regardless of socioeconomic or educational levels of the community (Lance Si Loertscher, 2005). Sinclair-Tarr and Tarr (2007) also found statistically significant positive relationships between the presence of a quality school library and student achievement in English/language arts as measured by California Standards Tests (CSTs) at the middle school level. Researchers have reported that one factor affecting students' decision to read is access to reading (Kim, 2004; McQuillan & Au, 2001; Strommen & Mates, 2004). In August of 2010, a major new meta-analysis showing the positive effect of access to print on education-related outcomes was released. Analysis of forty-four studies found that access to print improved children's reading performance, was instrumental in helping children learn the basics of reading, caused children to read more and for longer periods of time, and produced improved attitudes toward reading and learning among children (Lindsay, 2010). Although many of the studies included in the review involved preschool and elementary-age children, several involved older students. For example, McQuillan and Au (2001 ) found that convenient access to reading material was associated with more frequent reading, regardless of eleventhgrade students' reading ability. Kim (2004) collected data that strongly suggested a positive relationship between access to books and amount of summer reading for students entering sixth grade. He also found that the volume of summer book reading was positively related to fall reading achievement. Strommen and Mates (2004) surveyed sixth and ninth grade students identified as and not-readers and found that readers have access to plentiful, varied reading materials (p. 195), and frequently visit a public library and/or bookstore. In contrast, non-readers indicated that they seldom visit a library, except for finding a book for a school assignment. Krashen, Lee, and McQuillan (2008) conducted a multivariate analyses and found that access to books in school and public libraries was a significant predictor of 2007 fourth grade NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) reading scores, as well as the difference between grade four and grade eight 2007 NAEP reading scores, suggesting that access to books is important for reading improvement after grade four. …

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