Check in, check out: Librarian position eliminated at middle schools

Something may be missing from the middle school libraries in the Stanwood-Camano School District next year: a librarian.

Lori Woodward, Port Susan Middle School librarian, and Sara Harlan, Stanwood Middle School librarian, have been shifted into classroom teaching positions.

Harlan said she made it clear to the district she wanted to make the transition.

Woodward said she made it clear she didn’t.

Putting their individual career preferences aside for the time being, both are concerned about the future of their respective library programs without the guidance of a certificated, qualified librarian.

Neither position is being filled at the current level.

Similar to the situation at the middle schools, a drop in enrollment and reduction of funding has deepened the cuts to personnel at Stanwood Elementary.

The school’s library will only be staffed at half a position, held by current librarian Marianne McGarry-Bloom, who shares her duties with another half-time position reassigned to the classroom when kids return from summer vacation.

All three librarians expressed concern for literacy and learning and fear reading scores may be directly affected by the change.

“The issue boils down to student achievement,” said Mc- Garry-Bloom.

“There is a difference be- tween having a library available for student use and providing a library program for students,” said Woodward.

Librarians “enhance and support” what teachers provide for students in the classroom by teaching parallel lessons and providing instruction for analyzing and gathering source materials, said Harlan.

According to Woodward, students at Port Susan Middle School have read more than 7,200 books over the course of this school year as part of the Accelerated Reader program.

Without a librarian, the school may have to drop the program.

Among the concerns is maintaining the quality of current library materials, said Harlan. She estimates that Stanwood Middle School has more than 14,000 items in the collection.

And, how will new materials be purchased?

“We have to be accountants with the library budget,” said McGarry-Bloom. “Librarians are appointed stewards of the resources.”

Bottom line, the librarians are worried that the district’s current plan to allow schools to operate without a certificated specialist is detrimental to the learning process, and ultimately, will ripple through the grades.

Our district has worked hard to raise reading scores in the past 10 years, said McGarry-Bloom.

“What will happen down the road,” said Woodward.

Mike Olson, assistant superintendent of operations and Port Susan principal, said due to budget restrictions, reductions to services and programs will take place across the board.

“We’re not going to be at the same level,” said Olson.

Decisions have been made to scale back many electives as well, he said.

Stanwood Middle School Principal Barbara Marsh said the decision to reassign Harlan to the classroom was not easy.

“The library will remain open, but it will be on a limited schedule,” said Marsh. “A paraeducator will be in the library half-time to meet the needs of the students.”

Classroom teachers will still be able to sign up for the library and computer lab, she said.

The decision, Marsh continued, was based on a staffing allocation for the building. Her role as principal is to build a master schedule and meet contractual classsize agreements.

“In order to do this, I reassigned the librarian,” she said. “My hope is that it is not long term.”

The librarians expressed a desire to work with administration to maintain the quality of the library programs by finding an alternative solution.

“I think there are other creative ways,” said Woodward.

The group plans to address the board of directors at tonight’s meeting, June 15, which has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. to accommodate district staff interested in attending.

Staff Reporter Adam Stewart: 629-8066 ext. 115 or astewart@scnews.com.