American Libraries

Loriene Roy: We’re in a very busy, increasingly noisy room in Olympia, Washington. And we’re here with these famous Washington Moms who are helping lead the nation in attention to the importance of school librarians and school libraries. I was in my office, working on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and they said, “Do you know about these Moms?” And I go, “What Moms?” “The moms in Washington. We just saw something, some press announcement and you’re going to be with them.” (Laughter) I said, “Well, that’s cool.” They said, “Have you been asked? Do you know about it?” I go, “No.” So that’s all I heard about the Moms and I’ve been hearing about the Moms ever since.”

Lisa Layera Brunken: We never expected it to turn into this. We had no intentions, no end goal, but we are thrilled that in 10 weeks almost 5,000 people have spoken out when we sent out that message: Does anybody else care that this is happening out there? So they told us to have a Senate House Bill in 10 weeks from a zero point is pretty great. So we just hope that something will happen—no matter what—that over there in the Dome, they’re talking about school libraries.

Susan McBurney: It could not happen without every one of you people here and every one of the people who took the time to sign that petition and call their neighbors and go to that building and their teachers and their PTAs. So thank you to all of you.

Loriene Roy: More than 19 studies from around the country demonstrate that well-stocked, well-staffed school libraries make a substantial difference in basic literacy, as they help transform students with basic reading skills into lifelong readers. Despite this strong evidence, school libraries across the country have experienced drastic staffing and budget cuts.

Sara Kelly Johns: The NCES data that is being released today shows that the vast majority of states decreased certified staff and spending on books and resources. And your House Bill 2773 would turn that around. (Cheering) But the overall number of certified staff remains flat. Some states have decreased as much as 20% the number of certified staff. Nationally, this is the really tough statistic: That the amount of money spent on resources has decreased by 30%. Washington 2773 can turn that around. (Cheering) I have been in libraries a very long time and I’m tired of being considered ‘optional.’ (Cheering) ALA and AASL have been working very hard to include in the reauthorization of NCLB language in the Skills Act that will put a credentialed school librarian in every school. (Cheering) Washington can do that first. (Cheering)

Rep. Pat Sullivan: Are libraries important? (Cheering) Let me ask you one more time. All those people who couldn’t hear you in the eastern part of the state who couldn’t be here today, so you’ve got to act like you’re their voices, too. Are libraries important? (Cheering)

Lisa Layera Brunken: Well, the American Library Association, they came in a drove, in force and it was amazing. It was incredible to have the media covering it, asking questions, having the cameras there, having the banners; they were amazing. So we really felt like the big mother ship had landed in Washington.