WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) was joined by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-MS) on Thursday in introducing the bipartisan Strengthening Kids’ Interest in Learning and Libraries (SKILLS) Act.  The legislation seeks to expand federal investment in school libraries so they can continue to offer students the tools they need to develop the critical thinking, digital, and research skills necessary for success in the twenty-first century.

The SKILLS Act would reauthorize and strengthen the Improving Literacy through School Libraries program of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the only federal initiative explicitly dedicated to supporting and enhancing the nation’s school libraries.  The key improvements to the program include expanding professional development to include digital literacy instruction and reading and writing instruction across all grade levels; focusing on coordination and shared planning time between teachers and librarians; and ensuring that books and materials are appropriate for and gain the interest of students with special learning needs, including English learners.

“Effective school library programs are essential for educational success.  Multiple education and library studies have produced clear evidence that school libraries staffed by qualified librarians have a positive impact on student academic achievement.  Knowing how to find and use information are essential skills for college, careers, and life in general,” said Senator Reed, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.  “Absent a clear federal investment, the libraries in some school districts will languish with outdated materials and technology, or cease to exist at all, cutting students off from a vital information hub that connects them to the tools they need to develop the critical thinking and research skills necessary for success.  This is a true equity issue, which is why I will continue to fight to sustain our federal investment in this area and why renewing and strengthening the school library program is so critical.”

“School libraries should be an integral part of our educational system.  This bipartisan legislation is intended to ensure that school libraries are better equipped to offer students the reading, research and digital skills resources they need to succeed,” Chairman Cochran said.

Fifty years ago, when President Lyndon Johnson urged Congress to enact what would become the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, he specifically called for an investment in school libraries, decrying that school libraries were “limping along.”  Results from a recent National Center for Education Statistics survey show that there are still gaps in access to school libraries.  Approximately 8,800 schools did not report having a library media center, and only about two-thirds of the traditional public schools that did have libraries reported having a full-time, certified librarian.  One in five traditional public schools reported having no paid, state-certified library staff at all.  

The bipartisan SKILLS Act would further amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act by requiring state and school districts plan to address the development of effective school library programs to help students gain digital literacy skills, master the knowledge and skills in the challenging academic content standards adopted by the state, and graduate from high school ready for college and careers.  Additionally, the legislation would broaden the focus of training, professional development, and recruitment activities to include school librarians.

Throughout his career, Reed has supported education and libraries, statewide and nationally.  He sponsored virtually every major piece of library legislation when he was a Rhode Island member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1990-1996) and as a U.S. Senator for the past 18 years.  Last year, Reed and Cochran teamed up again to introduce the Workforce Investments through Local Libraries Act (WILL) Act.  Provisions of this bipartisan legislation were included in the recently-enacted Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and will better integrate public libraries into state and local workforce investment strategies by recognizing public libraries as allowable “One-Stop” partners and authorizing new demonstration and pilot projects to establish employment resources in public libraries.

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