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Q&A
Current state of school librarians and libraries in NYC public schools
1:44:14
ยท
3 min
Council Member Restler questions DOE representatives about the number of certified librarians and functional libraries in New York City public schools. The DOE struggles to provide precise data, leading to frustration from Restler.
- DOE reports approximately 250 certified school librarians
- Over 1,000 school buildings have library spaces, but not all have functioning library programs
- DOE cannot provide an exact number of schools without libraries
- Restler expresses disappointment in the DOE's lack of preparedness with data
Lincoln Restler
1:44:14
So I wanna talk about libraries.
1:44:16
I know that that's a shock.
1:44:17
School libraries.
1:44:19
So how many currently, how many certified librarians do we have operating in New York City Public Schools, and how many functional libraries do we have in New York City public schools?
1:44:31
Take your choice.
1:44:33
Bring over more.
1:44:35
You want
Rita Joseph
1:44:37
Eric Eric gets the babka.
Lincoln Restler
1:44:38
Come on.
1:44:39
Eric gets the babka.
1:44:41
Alright.
1:44:41
Sorry.
1:44:41
We're focused.
1:44:42
I'm focused.
1:44:43
I'm sorry.
1:44:43
This is Arts and education libraries.
1:44:46
How many certified librarians do we currently have operating in New York City public schools today?
1:44:49
How many functional libraries do we have in school library in functional school libraries do we have today?
1:44:54
Turn on the mic, please.
Melissa Jacobs
1:44:58
We currently have about two fifty certified school librarians.
1:45:02
The number might be a little bit bigger.
1:45:07
Some of them came from our teacher to librarian program, where we've recruited certified teachers and have helped them gain their school librarian certification.
Lincoln Restler
1:45:16
Okay.
1:45:17
So and how many functional libraries do we have currently in New York City Public Schools?
Melissa Jacobs
1:45:27
By functional libraries, we have over a thousand buildings with libraries.
1:45:34
And from those facilities being a standpoint, space planning stated that 1,039 school buildings with libraries, but they may not all have a functioning library program.
Lincoln Restler
1:45:46
Okay.
1:45:46
Why don't we try it a different way?
1:45:47
How many schools don't have libraries?
1:45:52
Would CHOP be reported four eighty?
1:45:53
Is that number accurate?
Cordelia Veve
1:45:56
So I don't think that we have a full count of the schools that do not have functioning libraries.
1:46:03
I think we've spoken about how there are lots of different data systems that we use to collect.
1:46:07
And so we use school space planning to identify the space that exists.
1:46:11
And then we're able to use DHR data to find out how many certified librarians that we have.
1:46:16
And then we have to cross reference with the number of schools that are co located.
1:46:21
So right now we don't have a final number on that.
Lincoln Restler
1:46:25
Okay.
1:46:26
So I just want to be clear.
1:46:27
Showed up to a hearing on a bill that's all about tracking how many librarians and how many libraries we have functioning in our schools, and we can't answer the basic question of how many schools in New York City don't have a library.
1:46:36
The Department of Education cannot answer the question of how many schools in New York City don't have a library.
1:46:40
Do you want to try again?
1:46:41
It's the Chalkbeat article that reported 480 schools in New York City that don't have a library.
1:46:45
Is that accurate?
Cordelia Veve
1:46:45
We can we can get back to you on
Lincoln Restler
1:46:47
But come on.
1:46:48
I don't want be getting back.
1:46:49
I don't want people coming back to me.
1:46:50
We have a hearing where we have a bill where we are gonna ask the most basic questions, and you don't come prepared.
1:46:55
It's frustrating.
Cordelia Veve
1:46:56
I I understand that.
Lincoln Restler
1:46:57
I agree.
1:46:58
This is literally the most elementary question for the for this bill, and you don't have an answer.
Cordelia Veve
1:47:02
We we agree that having libraries is incredibly important.
Lincoln Restler
1:47:06
But you don't have data on how many schools don't have libraries.
1:47:08
It's reported that 30% of schools in New York City don't have libraries.
1:47:11
That's an embarrassment.
1:47:12
But you don't even have the data to show it, which is why we need to pass this bill.
1:47:16
Let's come back to the lack of librarians in our schools.
1:47:18
So state law requires that every middle school and every high school with at least 700 children has a school librarian.