Save Minnesota School Librarians

Invest in Bright Futures: Minnesota Students Deserve Fully Staffed School Libraries

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Every Minnesota student should have access to an effective school library no matter where they live, how they learn or what language they speak.

Although 81% of schools in Minnesota report having a library, only 6% are meeting the national standard of a full-time licensed media specialist and a full-time support staff person. 

This best practice is a support for students to understand and navigate an ever changing landscape of information. Licensed library media specialists:

  • Teach research & digital literacy skills 
  • Encourage joyful, lifelong reading habits 
  • Provide individualized support for students and teachers 
  • Provide access to up-to-date resources 
  • Increase academic achievement across zip codes

 

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Tell state leaders that school libraries are a necessity for our state’s students.

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Support effective school libraries in Minnesota: every school has a full-time licensed librarian, a full-time support staff member and adequate funding to purchase up-to-date and relevant books for students.

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Local politicians take notice when people take the time to speak up about important community issues like school library funding.

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News and Updates

What Does a Library Media Specialist (LMS) Do in Minnesota?

October 28, 2025

School libraries are transforming, and the professionals who run them are also evolving. Today’s Library Media Specialists (LMSs) have moved beyond simply curating books to becoming certified educators who integrate technology and lead instructional strategies. However, the absence of this vital presence is becoming a prevalent problem across Minnesota. 

The Great North Star Read Together

August 12, 2025

Each participating library will host a local event—indoors, on library grounds, or in nearby public spaces—creating a statewide show of appreciation,  

Building a Collaborative School Library: The Impact of Staffing Roles

August 06, 2025

In some ways, school libraries have changed very little since the late-1800s setting of Barbara Cooney’s picture book Miss Rumphius, in which the main character works in a library “dusting books and keeping them from getting mixed up, and helping people find the ones they wanted.” (Cooney, Barbara. Miss Rumphius, Viking Press, 1982.)

School Library Musings: A Great School Library Is More than Just Books

August 06, 2025

The compact, light-filled library at Oak Grove Elementary — a TK (transitional kindergarten)  through fifth-grade school of approximately 425 students in a small town in northern California — is tucked away by itself at the back of the campus.

School Library Musings: Good Noise, Good Trouble!

August 06, 2025

Old television shows from the 1950s through the 1990s that featured kids in schools would inevitably set a scene or two in the library. Students would be sitting around large library tables, books open, whispering to each other. Should any of those whispers rise above a certain decibel, the stereotyped librarian’s harsh “SHHH!” would ring out over the room.