In parents' book, library cuts go too far - Families in Spokane launch what has grown into a statewide effort to protect schools' guardians of the shelves.
SEATTLE — As has happened in other states, cash-strapped schools in Washington are dropping librarians to save money: This year, Federal Way cut 20 librarian positions. Spokane reduced 10 librarians to half-time. Darrington cut two librarians. A school in Marysville eliminated its half-time librarian.
Libraries are open less, their programs minimized, jobs combined. In many cases, part- timers with little formal library training are replacing skilled veterans. In rural Pomeroy, a school now employs a combination custodian-librarian: She opens the library after cleaning the locker rooms.
One school's parents said: Enough is enough.
Convinced that children and education suffers when librarians disappear, a loose-knit band of Spokane families launched what has become a statewide campaign to bring school librarians back from the brink.
The parents blasted e-mails about an online petition to everyone they knew. They posted fliers at coffee shops, bookstores and public libraries. They began an e-mail newsletter and advertised the campaign on social networking websites. They gave presentations to education professionals and camped out at school board meetings.
As their expenses grew, they sold T-shirts to raise money to fund trips to the state capital in Olympia, where they've become fixtures at hearings on school finances.
This month, they hand-delivered 2,500 signatures to a state government committee examining Washington's arcane school-funding system. "We did it to find out if anybody cared," said Layera Brunkan, who started the petition drive with Susan McBurney. Their children's elementary school was affected by the cuts.
"We realized that the school libraries are hemorrhaging, and it was far worse than we ever imagined," said Layera Brunkan.
State legislators, accustomed to professional lobbyists and official representatives of public education's many special interest groups, embraced the parents-turned-activists.
GOP state Rep. Skip Priest was buttonholed by the Spokane parents. He sits on the Basic Education Finance Joint Task Force, which will recommend education funding changes to the Legislature next year.
The district Priest represents, Federal Way, axed 20 school librarians this year.
"Librarians embody what is important for education," Priest said. "Lisa is reminding us all how important it is to fund K-12 adequately at the state level."
