Literacy should not be optional in our schools

David Florig

is the executive director of the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children (www.wepac.org)

Literacy is not a luxury; it is essential. Yet literacy isn't treated as essential when it comes to Philadelphia's schoolchildren.

As recently as 30 years ago, every public school in Philadelphia had an open library staffed by a professional librarian. Those positions have been steadily eliminated, resulting in the closure of virtually every elementary school library in the district.

In contrast, each of Pennsylvania's state prisons is required to have a librarian with a master's degree and a large collection of books and periodicals. Those libraries have computers, glare-free lighting, air-conditioning, and comfortable furniture. Prison library collections must consist of useful print and non-print materials reflecting the interests of the inmate population.

There is a link between prisons and school libraries. The Department of Corrections estimates that half the state's inmates read below the sixth-grade level, and 40 percent lack a high school diploma or GED. The Workforce Development Board estimates that the incarceration rate for dropouts is three times the rate for high school graduates. Now consider this: Nearly 40 percent of Philadelphia public school students will not graduate.

Support for young readers, including school libraries, will combat those statistics. Dozens of studies demonstrate the link between library access and student achievement. Learning improves with increased library hours, group visits by classes, larger collections, and greater usage. One study said standardized test scores improve 10 to 15 points when school library use is maximized.

Our children did not create the political and fiscal struggles that keep libraries closed. But while we wait for every public school to have a well-stocked, warm, and inviting library staffed by a professional librarian, we must ensure that students have access to stories and to books for independent reading. One short-term solution is for volunteers to help open library doors.

So far, the nonprofit West Philadelphia Alliance for Children has opened 17 elementary school libraries in West and Southwest Philadelphia. The most recent reopening was at the Samuel B. Huey School, where the library was closed 20 years ago. The library at Morton McMichael School had been closed for 25 years. A generation of students has grown up without a school library.

The dedication of our volunteers is making a difference to thousands of Philadelphia students. They read stories and books with kindergarten through fourth-grade classes and help children select and check out books. Yet if we are to restore basic services in the scores of schools with shuttered libraries, hundreds more volunteers will be needed. More volunteers mean increased opportunities for students to learn to love reading and to achieve greatness in school and in life.

Much work remains to be done - by the School District, the city, and the commonwealth - before fully functioning libraries are restored to all public schools. While that work is being done, our children need us to provide them with the essentials. Literacy is just such an essential.