According to this terribly depressing article, the American Association of School Administrators is projecting that 19% of the nation's school districts will have fewer librarians next year, and 10% say they've already cut staff during the 2009-2010 school year.

A 2009 study on "America's Early Childhood Literacy Gap" estimates that 61% of low-income families own no age-appropriate books, forcing their children to depend upon school and public libraries to keep them from falling behind in school. Many of them also lack access to a computer, making the tech stations in libraries a vital resource.

As always, we here at Wordcandy urge everyone to consider what they can do to support reading in their communities, be that through voting, public statements, or even donating to (or shopping at) a library book sale. Every little bit helps!

Labels: Library news