The Sun Sunnyvale's Newspaper Photograph by Skye Dunlap Heather Miller (facing front), Julia Randall, left, and Stephanie Malcolm study at the Homestead library. With state funds on the way, local districts will be able to upgrade the books in their libraries--in some cases replacing texts that are decades old. School libraries to receive state funding By Steve Enders Local school librarians and school district officials are licking their chops over what's coming out of Sacramento. In 1999, school library officials are expecting to get a much-needed infusion of money as well as ongoing funding from the state that will help in bringing outdated libraries back up to par. It's coming from the California Public School Library Act, passed last August, which will give school districts regular library funding from the annual state budget--something that's never happened before. Local school districts are now scrambling to prepare library development plans so they can qualify to receive the money next year, which school officials hope will provide a fix for the schools' aging library materials. Under previous law, libraries could only receive occasional state grants to help patch some holes in their stock or equipment. The new law guarantees continued yearly funding. Drafted by Assemblywoman Denise Ducheny (D-San Diego), the bill is being welcomed with open arms in Cupertino and Sunnyvale because, district officials say, their school libraries are in poor shape. To get the money, which will be allotted per student, the district must draft and have library development plans approved. The plans outline how they'll spend the money and what in their libraries needs the most attention. District officials aren't exactly sure how much they will see from the state, but in the Fremont Union High School District it could be as much as $28 per student--about $250,000--during the first wave of funding in 1999. In the Cupertino Union School District, the board of trustees heard a presentation on Dec. 8 about its development plan, and is likely to approve that plan in its first meeting of the new year. Status is the same in the FUHSD and Sunnyvale School District, where those boards are likely to approve similar plans during their first meetings of 1999. The text of the bill says that libraries should be staffed by qualified librarians, have up-to-date library books and media centers, and be a valuable resource to teachers and students. Currently, school libraries are thin on new material and have limited access to high-technology resources. Bob Lowry, assistant superintendent of educational services in the SVSD, says that the district is planning on doing some "weeding" in its 10 libraries. In some cases, Lowry says, he's found science books with copyright dates from the early 1970s. "Our collections are among the worst in the nation," Lowry says, adding that he's not sure yet how much money the district will see from the bill. "It will depend a lot on the economy," Lowry says. "It may increase or decrease, but for the first time it's coming. We've never seen anything like it. Not to this extent." Lowry also says that the district will hire more full-time, certified librarians. Now, the district depends on volunteers and part-time staff to run the libraries. The CUSD says it will focus on the reference sections in its libraries. According to a report to the board of trustees early this month, about 60 percent of the books in the district's reference sections have copyright dates 11 years old or older. Only 14.4 percent have been published in the last five years, the report says. Karen Burnett, the FUHSD's coordinator of information services, says they will focus on "weeding" the district's collections as well as on building access to Internet services. [ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, December 23, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.