As Michigan scrambles to improve literacy, school librarians are losing their jobs

• Some Michigan schools are continuing to cut library positions during budget uncertainty
• Only 9% of the state’s public schools currently have a full-time librarian
• The state Senate budget proposal includes $15 million in the school aid budget for libraries

Jessica Barrett, a parent at Parkwood-Upjohn Elementary in Kalamazoo, volunteers 10 hours a week at her third grader’s understaffed school library on top of her three part-time jobs. 

She was devastated to learn that the sole library assistant’s position was cut due to budget constraints, leaving Parkwood and Winchell Elementary School’s libraries with no dedicated staff for the next school year.

“Some children, you can tell they don't get books,” Barrett said. “The only books they see are the ones at the school library. … As a volunteer, this was just gutting.”  

The Kalamazoo district isn’t alone. Only 9% of Michigan public schools had a full-time, certified librarian in 2022, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That matters in a state where Republicans and Democrats alike are scrambling for ways to improve literacy.

Now, a $15 million carve-out for school libraries in the Michigan Senate’s proposed budget could give schools the chance to reinvest in their libraries, also called media centers or learning resource centers. 

The proposed budgets from the House and from the administration of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer do not have money set aside for libraries. The fate of dedicated library funds will be determined in the negotiations over a final school budget.

Related:

• Amid literacy crisis, Michigan’s school librarians have all but disappeared
• Opinion | To boost literacy, Michigan must invest in school librarians
• As Michigan scores fall, state superintendent blames local control ‘run amok’ 
• No deal: In blow to schools, Michigan’s divided Legislature misses budget deadline

Several studies have shown that having access to a certified school librarian improves test scores, but the number of librarians has continued to decline over the past two decades. A 2023 study using data from North Carolina found that students with a full-time school librarian scored significantly higher on reading and math than those without, although the school’s library budget also played a role.

In 2004-5, there were over 1,400 certified librarians in Michigan, according to the Center for Educational Performance and Information. By 2014-15, there were just over 500 school librarians  — similar to the number today.

The decline can be partially explained by districts replacing certified librarians, who have advanced degrees and teach information literacy, with library assistants that facilitate book checkout. Even library assistants are in short supply — in 2024, over 30% of Michigan school districts reported no librarians or library assistants in any of their school buildings. 

In the past two decades, Michigan has dropped from 30th to 44th in the nation in 4th grade reading scores in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called “the nation’s report card.” Only a quarter of Michigan’s fourth graders were considered proficient in reading in 2024, compared to the national average of 30%. That has policymakers, schools and parents alike worried about the future of Michigan’s children. 

State Rep. Matt Koleszar, D-Plymouth is a former teacher and has supported bills to require a school librarian in every building. Koleszar said he’s “hopeful” about the state budget despite uncertainty. 

“I saw firsthand the impact that having a certified school librarian in the school with an active school library had for students,” Koleszar said. “It helps literacy. It helps them with proper research, it helps them to go through the best sources. It connects them to the best possible information, especially in an age when misinformation is just running rampant.”

According to Koleszar, the drop in school librarians started at the tail end of the Great Recession, around 2010, with cuts to school funding. He believes the state needs to do more than pass “science of reading” bills to turn things around. The state of Mississippi, which increased reading scores in what has been called the “Mississippi Miracle,” requires a certified librarian in every school, which is what Koleszar has proposed.

Christine Beachler, president of the Michigan Association of School Librarians, said she’s seen firsthand the disinvestment in school libraries throughout her 38 years in education.

“When schools are looking at making cuts, they often turn to the school libraries, and it's very, very counterintuitive,” Beachler said. “We are working so hard to try to improve test scores and trying to get our literacy scores up … and then we cut libraries.” 

Jason Mellema, Ingham Intermediate School District superintendent, noted that districts typically try to keep cuts away from the classroom. 

“Right now, we have a federal budget with implications that are unknown and challenging,” Mellema said. “We have a state that hasn't passed the budget, and all schools at this point in time, by statute, have had to have their budgets passed. So, you have districts that have taken a very cautious approach to try to figure out, how do they position themselves … What decisions can you make that won't impact the classroom, typically, directly?”

Beachler disagrees, arguing that cuts to libraries impact the classroom and student experience directly. 

“The library is one of the most important spaces in our buildings, where students feel safe,” Beachler said. “It's felt immediately in our students, in their educational process. And I think that it's very damaging for kids to see that the library programs can be one of the first things to be cut.” 

Parent pushback

Kalamazoo parent Susan O’Connor started an online petition with over 900 signatures to bring back Parkwood and Winchell’s library assistant position and push the district to reevaluate the staffing of their libraries. Two elementary schools in the district, Woodward School and Washington Writer’s Academy, already have no library staff. 

Superintendent Darrin Slade wrote in a statement to Bridge that the decision was made by building principals and other staff will help students check out books at Parkwood and Winchell. 

“The district has looked at these reductions in library staffing and is currently developing a plan to maintain book checkout services for Parkwood-Upjohn and Winchell students,” Slade wrote. “KPS is confident that students at all schools will continue to benefit from school libraries.” 

Kalamazoo isn’t the only district losing library workers this year. In Rockford Public Schools, a certified media specialist was funded by a grant that ran out.  Rockford Superintendent Steve Matthews said they'll now have three media specialists — one for each middle school, and the librarian formerly serving the 9th grade building will serve grades 9-12. 

“Having a certified media specialist … really does promote literacy. It helps students get connected with books in meaningful ways,” said Matthews. “Sadly, often media specialists are the positions that get cut because the focus is on providing classroom teachers.” 

Currently, Rockford’s eight elementary school libraries are staffed by paraprofessionals. Matthews said from his perspective, a statewide effort to fund school libraries could create dilemmas for districts unless the funding is enough to provide a librarian in every building. 

“If the Legislature believes that media specialists are so important, would they be willing to fund a media specialist in every library or every media center, every school in the district?” Matthews said. “Having one or two people for the whole district would probably not have a significant impact on improving the literacy skills of students.” 

In Kalamazoo, Barrett said she’s willing to continue volunteering at the library to make up for cuts that she believes will harm children. 

“This is Michigan's future coming up,” Barrett said. “We're really doing a disservice to the future of Michigan when that's going to reverberate down the line.”