The South Orange Maplewood School District has announced plans to split a librarian between the two middle schools and leave the high school library position vacant.

One librarian will now oversee both middle schools, meaning neither will be fully staffed.

The high school library has been renovated, and now the newly renovated library will still not have a librarian present.

These schools serve students with significant academic and literacy needs, raising major concerns about equity and students' support.

These proposed reductions also come at a time when New Jersey is expected to address the state's new Information Literacy standards, which require students to develop skills related to research, evaluating sources, digital citizenship, and identifying misinformation.

The state has made it clear that certified school librarians are central to the work and should be involved in the delivery of instruction of information literacy skills outlined in the new standards.