Philadelphia Read In to Restore School Librarians 2025

Philadelphia is one of the largest urban districts in the United States, with very few certified school librarians. Dozens of studies confirm that students with access to well-staffed, well-resourced school libraries perform better academically, are more likely to read for pleasure, and are better prepared for research, civic engagement, and digital citizenship.

The Philadelphia Alliance to Restore School Librarians (PARSL), the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association (PSLA), and EveryLibrary staged a silent “read-in” to advocate for the restoration of certified school librarians in all School District of Philadelphia schools, where today only 5 of the 218 buildings have certified school librarians.  The book-reading demonstration was held on the steps in front of the School District of Philadelphia's Administration Building on Friday, June 27, with approximately 130 parents, children, teachers, and community members in attendance. Several librarians attending the American Library Association’s Annual Conference in the Convention Center also attended.

"Restoring certified school librarians to Philadelphia’s public schools is a matter of educational equity," said Deb Kachel, Core Planning team member of PARSL. "We are calling on district leaders to partner with us to create a plan for rebuilding school library programs that support all students, regardless of zip code."

The public event was organized to bring attention to the need to prioritize reading and literacy by reestablishing school libraries with professional librarians in all district-operated schools. Philadelphia has the worst ratio of students to librarian of over 39,000 students per certified librarian. Two out of three children in Philadelphia cannot read on grade level by 4th grade. Research has shown that school librarians support improved student literacy (including digital media literacy), encouraging students to develop the habit and joy of reading to learn.