I’ve been reading for almost all my life. I started reading crime fiction when I was a child, and still do. I write crime fiction, too. I haven’t become a murderer or robbed a bank. I’ve read about runaways and drug abusers, too. I’ve even written about a runaway. Those things didn’t make me run away or abuse drugs. I’ve read about characters who are auto mechanics. I didn’t become one. I think you get the idea.
Reading didn’t turn me into any of the characters I read about in books. Instead, reading set me free. Through having access to books, I’ve discovered much more than I’d have learned otherwise. I’ve been entertained, taught, and yes, sometimes shocked and disturbed. That’s been helpful to me, too. I’ve read books I disagreed with, and I’m still here to tell the tale. My point is, books, even the books I read as a child, didn’t ‘turn me into’ anything other than an educated person who critically thinks about things and knows how to wrestle with ideas. Books, like the best teachers, didn’t tell me what to think, they taught me how to think. And I still learn from them.
There is convincing research (at least to me) that access to books supports children’s cognitive development, social/emotional understanding, and flexibility of thought. They also spark children’s imaginations and creativity. If you’re a booklover, too, I’m sure I don’t have to convince you that books and by extension, libraries, are important supports for children’s growth. I know I’ve always loved being able to go to the library, whether it was the public library or a school library. That’s where I did a lot of learning. And that’s where students of mine have learned, too.
And that is why I’m so concerned about plans to close school libraries and repurpose them. Fortunately, that’s not happening where I live, but that it’s happening at all is deeply disturbing. I’ve been in education long enough to know that schools are not cheap or easy to run. Space is at a premium, and there are numerous calls on a school’s budget and staff time. But closing libraries, re-positioning librarians, and repurposing library space is not the answer.
Students who do not have regular access to school libraries are less likely to do well in classes, be accepted at competitive universities, and have the flexible thinking skills they need to succeed in the world of work. They are less likely to be open to other points of view, and less likely to understand the cultural knowledge that’s behind many allusions they’ll hear. This puts them at a real disadvantage, whether they’re applying to university, competing for a desirable job, or simply having a conversation.
Without school libraries, student access to books could possibly be cut off, since not all students live near public libraries, and plenty of students can’t afford to buy books. What’s more, if students don’t learn how to use a library (as they do in school libraries), they may not be able to take full advantage of a public library. This further disadvantages students.
Closing and repurposing school libraries also sends a message to students and the community that libraries, books, and reading are not important. This could have many negative consequences, not the least of which is that students will be unprepared for a world in which thinking, ideas, and learning from reading really do matter.
As a writer and educator, I don’t feel I can sit by and see this happening and say nothing about it. Solving schools’ financial or other problems by cutting out libraries does far more damage than any good that could come of it. We need to find ways to support school libraries. Too much is at stake for us to ignore them.
*NOTE: The title of this post is the title of a song by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.
Crime Writer Margot Kinberg 
Books and reading are how many kids escape a reality that’s less than stellar. Taking that escape away will open up a rift and those kids could get lost. Not to mention all the joy that we all get from reading and the knowledge that comes to us in the form of fiction and non-fiction. Empathy is quietly taught by books.
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You put that beautifully, Cat! There are so many benefits kids get from reading, and you’re right; books and libraries can be a haven for those whose home lives are not good. Cutting young people off from that escape and from everything (including empathy) that books offer puts those young people at risk. It’s not something we can afford to do.
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How can they even consider closing school libraries? It makes no sense.
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It honestly makes no sense to me, either, Carol. Yes, schools have limited funds, but this isn’t the way to solve that problem. It’s just…upsetting.
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I think it’s pretty much the same here in the UK, Margot. Head teachers forced to cut costs and feeling that the school library is expendable. And perhaps for children from well-off families where homes have a lot of books then that’s not so terrible (although personally I think it still is). But for poorer kids it’s a disaster. I had a few books as a kid but we couldn’t afford a lot so the town and public library were my lifeline. I would hate to think modern children no longer have that to fall back on.
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I’m sorry to hear it’s the same where you are, Cath. As you say, it’s one thing for well-off kids who have books at home (although I agree it’s still terrible). For poorer kids, or kids whose parents don’t have books, it really is devastating. They simply don’t have the access they need without a school library. Like you, I grew up with a school library and a public library, and they were both very important to me. We still very much need those lifelines.
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That should be ‘town and ‘school ‘ library.
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No worries, Cath – I understood what you meant!
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Absolutely agree Margot – I work in a primary school and we are struggling to find funding for books. Pair that with the cuts in public libraries in the UK and it really is hard to make sure all young people have access to books – and it’s essential they do, as we know. Very worrying…
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I’m so sorry to hear you’re struggling in the same way, KBR. With funding cuts everywhere, and people deciding to keep books from young people, it is a very worrying situation. I know that when it comes to finances, choices have to be made. And people do have strong feelings about what young people should(n’t) read. But keeping them from reading is not the solution. I hope we come up with something workable on both sides of the pond!
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I don’t know for sure but it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the same were happening here. I’ve said before that it seems to me our education system is currently more concerned with churning out well trained little worker bees than in giving kids the chance to find their potential. And sadly they don’t even do the worker bee training very well. I guess a populace without the skills and knowledge to ask questions about the way things are done must be quite a comfort to those in power…
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I’m not sure, either, FictionFan, but it could very likely be happening where you are; it’s happening in a lot of places. And I honestly think the downplaying of the value of books and ideas is contributing to it. As you say, if what you want is docile worker bees, then you’re right; you don’t want them asking questions or getting different ideas. That’s one reason I feel so strongly about the need to make sure kids have books and can think. As time-consuming as it can be, I’d rather have students question everything I do than accept what I say without even thinking about it.
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I totally agree, Margot. I cannot imagine a school without a library. To me, it is a symbol of what is important in education and a child’s future life; reading for fun and for education, learning to do research, etc.
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Thanks, Tracy. And I love the way you describe libraries. They really are that important. The library is an essential of the school, I think.
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One of my favourite songs ever. Thanks. Yes, reading does not make you a monster, it educates, expands your imagination and takes you to places you might never visit. It increases your understanding of the world around us. It lets us fly. Attention spans have decreased and people want instant gratification and I think the closure of libraries, book stores, coupled with the decline in gift giving (of books) is a dangerous road to go down. Getting information from only the internet can be a trip up a one-way street – one-sided – and does not challenge ideas and beliefs. An echo chamber. Support your local library is essential – not everyone can purchase books when the cost of living is crippling them. Books have helped make us human and civilised. We cannot let them go.
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Thanks for your thoughts on this, Jane. I couldn’t agree more about the vital necessity of books. And when children don’t have access to books, it’s so much harder to learn to think critically, concentrate, wrestle with ideas, and think flexibly. There’s so much evidence for this. You make a strong point about attention spans, too. And please, don’t get me started on what can happen if the only information one gets is from the Internet. There’s some good stuff out there on the web, but without the critical thinking skills that books offer, it’s hard to know what’s good and what… isn’t. And you’re right; there are plenty of people who can’t buy books. Without the support of school libraries and town libraries, those kids are at a real disadvantage. Oh, and the song? I’ve always absolutely loved it, too.
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You sum it up so much better than I. Agree totally. I had books in my hand long before I could read them. Our son was given books long before he could read them. He loved to be read to and would follow with his fingers on the pages (sitting on my lap) so he could read and write a little before he went to school. So could I and so could his dad. I cannot imagine a world without books. Such great companions for the lonely. I love being surrounded by them. You cannot beat holding one in your hand. The world in your hands.
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The world in your hands, indeed, Jane. And I’m not surprised that your son had books from such an early age (you and his dad, too!). When young people have access to books from that early in life, they have so many advantages on so many levels. And I can just picture those moments when your son was exploring books before he could even read – family bonding time as well as important reading time.
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I cannot imagine never being able to read. Fills me with horror.
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Me, too, Jane.
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