A coalition of more than 20 education businesses, associations, and media groups are calling on Congress to support dedicated school library funding in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary 91ÖÆƬ³§ÊÓƵ Act.
The coalition, which includes Scholastic Inc., EBSCO Information Services Inc., and the Association of American Publishers, sent a letter last month to Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who chairs the Senate education committee, and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the committee’s ranking member, seeking greater federal investment in school libraries.
Federal data indicate that about 8,830 public schools in the United States do not have a school library. And nearly 17,000 schools lack a full- or part-time state-certified librarian, according to the American Library Association.