With state funding lacking, many school libraries have to rely on donations to support their work and the students who use them. Photo by Carolyn Starkey.
For the past seven years, school libraries in Alabama have had to operate without the funding they need because of a shortfall in the Educational Trust Fund. That does not make the job easier for people like Carolyn Starkey, who has served as librarian at Shades Valley High School for the past three years.
“State funding was the only form of funding we had that’s stable,” she said. “Everything else comes from grants that we write, so without the funding we’re relying solely on grants and other donations. So, for those school librarians that don’t feel comfortable writing [or receiving] grants — they have no money at all.”
Meg Brooke, the supervisor of libraries at Jefferson County Board of Education, says that the lack of funding affects everyone.
“Everyone is hurting,” Brooke said. “Our economy is not very good right now so we’re all just tightening our belts and doing what we can. But we want to keep all of the libraries as up-to-date and useful as possible, and without money tightening belts can cause the library and the students to suffer.”
Before the state funding ceased, Alabama provided a substantial amount of money based on teacher units per school to cover the costs of books and all necessary technology. Now school libraries must rely on a combination of donor generosity and their own savings.
“Schools with wealthier populations are being helped by PTA funds and the schools in poorer locations are using book fairs,” Brooke said. “Everyone is getting by the best they can.”
Local businesses are even taking big roles in donating to various schools.
“Shades Valley High School recently received a grant from the Irondale City Council,” Brooke said. “And Pinson High School received a grant from Lowe’s for around $4,000, so they’re using that money to update the library aesthetically with new ceiling tiles, paint, a rug, etc.”
Relying on grants and donations is not enough for school libraries to thrive, and be afloat. Fundraising events only go so far. Starkey explained that schools like Shades Valley are doing everything they can think of to bring in interested donors.
“We recently did our poetry slam night where the students can bring their own poetry,” Starkey said. “That always brings in a good crowd.
“In the fall we do workshops with our creative writing students where we have local writers come and teach tips on writing. We also do coupon book sales as a fundraiser. This has been our biggest year so far. We raised about $2,000, but that doesn’t go very far. It’s not nearly enough to keep up with new publications, let alone things that are damaged or lost.”
Starkey and Brooke agreed that library technology has been affected most by the lack of funding.
“Our [Shades Valley] computers are very old and on their last legs,” Starkey said. “Last year we inherited 10 or 12 computers from our school’s computer lab that were six years old. And we were very grateful to receive those computers. We’re down to our last few projectors and laptops. We haven’t had the opportunity to purchase more up-to-date technology.”
Technology can make the library a more fun place to be, one that encourages kids to make use of the resources, but without funding this task is becoming more difficult in Jefferson County.
“We’re trying to bring more technology into the library systems,” Brooke said. “Overdrive, which is an online library system where you can check out and read books, is available in all of the schools and public libraries of Jefferson County, and that program opens doors for so many students who love to read. You’re not limited to just books anymore; we have computers and gadgets like the NOOK Reader that provide a limitless supply of things to read. With technology constantly evolving and bringing new ways to read, we want to give the students a place where they can relax and enjoy reading.”
Technology has even become a critical factor in helping schools gain donations. Jefferson County schools have set up several online opportunities for people to show their support.
“We [Shades Valley] work through donorschoose.org, and we have an Amazon wish list,” Starkey said. “We’ve received several donations through the DonorsChoose page, and we have a few patrons who have bought several items off of our wish list and donated them to the library. It has been a huge help.”
Despite being a few steps behind, the library has remained a significant part of academic life.
“Last semester we estimated that we received approximately 373 students a day in the library,” Starkey said proudly. “This semester we have estimated around 385 students, and for a high school that’s a fairly large number.”
Starkey said she believes students have never stopped believing in the library’s importance.
“Our kids have made a commitment to using this library,” Starkey said, adding that she and co-librarian Carla Crews “have committed to doing everything we can to provide them with what they need. We are committed to literacy here and committed to helping the students get the library they deserve.”
Brooke and Starkey both have strong views on the current predicament.
“If the state could give us even half of what they used to give us that would be better than nothing,” Brooke said.
“It’s critical that school libraries be supported,” Starkey said. “Literacy is our number one goal of education, and you can’t have literacy if you don’t have books for students to read. They can’t become technology literate if they don’t have computers. So it’s incredibly important for legislators to provide us with what we need. It’s been seven years since we’ve had funding and we’re at the breaking point.”
Residents of Birmingham interested in helping are always welcome to talk to their local legislators.
“It’s important for people to write letters, call, even physically visit their legislators and explain why funding for libraries is important,” Starkey said.
Brooke agreed that every voice counts for school libraries: “People need to do whatever they can to emphasize why we need libraries and why they’re important. We need people to speak up.”
For further information on how you can help Shades Valley High School’s library, contact 205-956-3842. If you would like to donate to your own school or to a school in your community, call the school for more information or visit www.donorschoose.org and search for your school.
