Research on the Positive Impact of Librarians

More than 34 state-level studies have found that when their schools have strong library programs staffed by licensed school librarians, students score higher on reading and achievement tests. This trend holds true regardless of other factors, such as class size, per-pupil funding, and student socioeconomic conditions. For example, a study in Pennsylvania reported that significantly fewer students scored “below basic” in reading when they had access to a strong library program. Another study found that the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) fourth grade reading scores for low-income, Black and Latino students improved in states that added licensed librarians, while ELL reading scores dropped in states that lost them (Lance and Hofshire, 2018).

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