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Who We Are and What We Do

Is a school library even necessary anymore? Can't they just Google the information and get the books on their devices?

Yes and No. 

Reference our BHSLMC Purpose and Job Summary, Freshmen Orientation and First Class.

A school library managed by a certified school library media specialist is necessary to facilitate literacy and for the acquiring of credible information in an increasingly challenging educational and social environment. Employing a professional to know and share the appropriate resource with the appropriate child is a full time pursuit.

Funding a physical library full of free books and resources where students of all financial backgrounds can access reading material and computer networks is essential to an equal and fair education. The library is an extension of the classroom. A classroom is managed by a professional and so must a a library be managed by a professional.

Classroom teachers spend their time planning classroom lessons, managing classrooms of students, and grading their classwork. A professional librarian spends her time planning lessons, managing a corporate space for students and staff, and managing a physical space containing material for entertainment, expanding of the mind, and sources of information for research. A librarian reads her collection the hours spent away from the school to better put those books in the right hands. This is my favorite part of the job. I love to read the collection and think of who would enjoy a particular book. I love when a student comes in looking for a book, we chat, and I am able to book talk several books for their enjoyment. Why is that important? Because reading is integral for success. 

Check out our data: circulation statistics, class usage, collaboration with teachers. It shows our library is essential to the educational process at Blanchester High School. 

Weller, Sam. Without school librarians, we're on a dystopian path. Chicago Tribune. 29 Mar 2017.

"School librarians are an essential component to a full education. Trained librarians are media specialists with master's degrees who can teach school-age kids the skills necessary to quickly access accurate information from sources beyond Google and Wikipedia.
Equally important, a great school librarian, through individualized instruction, can guide a young reader to a book or a story that has the potential to resonate deeply. Studies show conclusively that independent readers have greater success in school and, as a result, greatly emboldened career options for their future.

School librarians are the ushers who light the path for our children. They guide students toward knowledge, understanding and empathy. They foster a sense of curiosity and teach young people the tools necessary to research effectively and think critically. Make no mistake — librarians are teachers.

In Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451," we see what happens to a society that no longer reads, that no longer yearns to be educated. In cutting trained librarians in our schools, we are stepping ever closer to Bradbury's fictional dystopia.

As Bradbury famously stated: "You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them."