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Council Member Restler advocates for school libraries and librarians
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Council Member Lincoln Restler passionately addresses the critical shortage of school libraries and librarians in New York City public schools. He emphasizes the importance of libraries for student learning and literacy, and discusses the proposed legislation Intro 1125 to improve data collection on school libraries.
- Restler highlights that only 16% of NYC schools have a librarian, and 30% (480 schools) don't have a library at all.
- He argues that the lack of libraries is inconsistent with the mayor's stated focus on literacy.
- Intro 1125 is presented as a solution to gather real-time data on school libraries and librarians, which could help address the issue.
Lincoln Restler
0:12:41
Thank you so much, chair Joseph, for your partnership on 11/25, and thank you, chair Rivera.
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Appreciate you both creating the opportunity to hear this legislation.
0:12:50
I'd also just I know we've got some students from PS two sixty one here somewhere.
0:12:55
Just wanna say how thrilled we are to have all of our students here advocating for librarians and for the arts.
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It's really special to have you at the council.
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You know, about twenty plus years ago, essentially every school in New York City had a librarian.
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Today, 16% of schools have a librarian.
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Sixteen percent.
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Over 80% of public schools in New York City do not have a librarian.
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That is disgraceful.
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A school without a library is like a grocery store without vegetables.
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We are failing to do our job.
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And you know what's even more shocking?
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30% of public schools in New York City, Four Hundred And Eighty schools don't have a library.
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Don't have a library.
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How are we expecting our students to learn?
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How this mayor claims that literacy is his number one goal and that he cares about it deeply, and 480 schools in New York City don't have a a library?
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It's disgraceful.
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It is absolutely embarrassing.
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And intro eleven twenty five, something that we've worked on with library advocates from across the city, would help change that.
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It's time for us to get the data.
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Chair Joseph and I and library advocates have sat across the table from DOE multiple times.
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We've asked for real data on what's going on with school librarians, what's the plan to actually expand the presence of librarians in our schools, and we haven't gotten one.
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So we had no choice but to legislate.
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It's time for the DOE to provide real time data to all of us so that we can understand what schools have librarians, what schools have libraries, what access to library to libraries our students have.
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Because we all know that when libraries are present in our school, when librarians are present in our schools, it boosts literacy.
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It improves access to information.
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It improves research skills.
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It improves test scores.
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Librarians and libraries make a transformational difference.
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It did in my life.
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I imagine it did in the lives of every single council member that's up on this day as today, and too many of our students are being deprived of it.
0:14:57
I really am grateful for the opportunity for the hearing on 11/25, and hopefully, we can get it passed into law very soon.
0:15:02
Thank you.