by Kathryn K. Brown, October 2012

WHAT'S THE ISSUE?

In our politically charged culture, people have strong opinions on everything from the environment to health care. I have recently found myself in the middle of a debate about the benefits of unrestricted checkout in my elementary school library.

I believe that the time has come to let children check out the number of books they want. My only requirements are that they must be able to carry them ("No, you may not ask your teacher to carry some for you, and no fair bringing a wagon!"), and if the student has an overdue book, he or she is restricted to one book until the overdue is resolved. In an ideal world, I would not impose that last restriction either, but one does have a budget, and children are learning organization and responsibility skills.

Other members of our faculty are concerned that unrestricted checkout is depleting our library of resources, that students aren't reading the books they check out, that they are irresponsible and don't return them, and that the books don't fit in their desks or backpacks.

AASL'S POSITION AND SOME RESEARCH

In its Position Statement on the School Librarian's Role in Reading, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) states, "library media centers are to provide students, staff, and families with open, nonrestricted access to a varied high quality collection of reading materials in multiple formats that reflect academic needs and personal interests." In The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research, 2nd edition (2004), Stephen D. Krashen writes that reading and having access to good books are critical to achievement in reading, writing, and spelling. Research has shown that students who are given the opportunity for free voluntary reading (FVR), show dramatic improvement in test scores over time. FVR improves vocabulary development, grammar test performance, writing, and oral/aural language ability (Krashen 3). Students who are speakers of English as a second language dramatically improve fluency and comprehension when they have access to quality books (Krashen 149).

Assigned reading has its place in reading instruction, too. It challenges students intellectually and exposes them to books they might not choose on their own, thereby expanding their free reading horizons. These are powerful arguments for surrounding children with books.

Krashen's research also shows that students in poverty have access to fewer books than students who are more affluent. Not only are there fewer book stores and libraries in poor neighborhoods, there are fewer books in classroom libraries and school libraries. In a California study by LeMoine, Brandlin, O'Brian and McQuillan (1997), researchers found that

. . . students in high-achieving schools in affluent areas are able to visit the school library more frequently, both independently and as a class, and are more likely to be allowed to take books home. Seven out of the fifteen low-achieving schools they studied did not allow children to take books home (Krashen 72).

Affluent children have more books at home and more ways to get the books they want. Low-income students are more dependent on the school for their books (Krashen 68-73).

Our challenge is to provide books that are rich in content and variety, reflecting the curriculum and the diverse needs of our students (AASL 2010), and to make sure that children have the opportunity to read. We need to take every advantage of every tool in our arsenal to get them to read.

THE POWER OF CHOICE

Children have strong opinions about what they like to read. When I was a brand new librarian, I assumed (incorrectly) that children would prefer picture books, as I always took my own children to the picture book section when we visited the public library. I was surprised to discover that many students prefer nonfiction books, which was reinforced when I began really paying attention to what my kids were bringing home from their visits to the school library (army books, cat books, dinosaur books). If no books are of interest to students, or if they are not allowed to check out the books they want to borrow, reading becomes an exercise in frustration, and the library is a place to waste time.

Just like adults, children like books that are attractive and in good condition. If shelves are overcrowded, children become overwhelmed and can't find the "good" books they want. This is why weeding is a critical activity for the librarian. Allowing unrestricted checkout reduces overcrowding on shelves, too. The more books students check out, the easier it is to find the books they want!

CELEBRATING EMPTY SHELVES

The best collection, the tidiest shelves, and the most inviting library will do no one any good if books sit on the shelves. Library books are to be used. In the process some books will be damaged and some will be lost. If the loss rate is too low, it indicates that the collection is not being used. Anne E. Ruefle, in the article "Rules or Reading" (Library Media Connection, May/June 2011) shared a story about a woman whose three daughters dreaded library day because they might forget their library books, in which case the children would not be allowed to check out another book and would be reprimanded by the librarian. In other libraries, children check out books but are afraid to take them out of their backpacks for fear of forgetting them. Every September, during our library orientation, I ask students, "What is the most important thing to do with your library book?" The answers include taking care of them, returning them, not tearing the pages, not letting little brothers or sisters read them, not writing in them, and not letting the dog chew them. Rarely does a child get the right answer: "The most important thing to do with your library book is to read it!" Have we become so rule driven that reading is an afterthought? If the time ever came that the shelves were empty, that would be cause for celebration! Can you imagine a library that is so intriguing and inviting that children can't wait to check out whatever book is available? When students are first given the opportunity to have unlimited checkout, they check out more books than they can possibly read (and in some cases, carry). If they have unrestricted access, however, they quickly learn that when they finish the books they have, they can return and get more. They learn to self-limit their selections. When a student is told that she can get three books, she feels that she a) must get three books and b) must select absolutely perfect books because she can only get three. Thus, limiting checkout creates anxiety and tension in the library as students are rushed because it is time to go and they haven't yet found the exact number of exactly the right books.

ADDRESSING CONCERNS

A teacher shared with me that assessing independent reading is very difficult if a child abandons books without finishing them. What an opportunity to collaborate with her to come up with solutions to this problem! I suggest that if students are allowed to check out as many books as they like, they will take more risk in their reading. If I can only get two books, I'd probably make sure they are books I already know I will like. If I can take more, I might be more willing to try a science fiction title (not my personal favorite), knowing that if I hate it, I still have something else to read. As the librarian I can work with the teacher to ensure that each student has one book for her to evaluate the student's reading and several other books to explore.

Children check out books for reasons that have nothing to do with reading them. Is there really anything wrong with just looking at the pictures? That is how I read magazines. Some children just want to look cool or grown up. I still remember the first "grown up" book I read. I was in fourth grade, and I read Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House in the Big Woods. To my young mind it was a grown up book because it was thick. Many children have someone at home happy to read aloud to them, if there is something to be read. My children allowed me to read all seven Harry Potter books to them, even though my son was a senior in high school the summer we read the last one.

WHAT STUDENTS DESERVE

Our students deserve unrestricted access to a collection of high quality, high interest books. As teachers, our goal is to get students to read. As students, their goal is to find something interesting that will entertain them and please us. Overall their goals are the same as anyone else's: to find happiness, to be treated with respect, and to be valued as individuals. If we restrict checkout, we are violating at least one of those goals. We are telling them we don't trust them to return their books. We are telling them we don't care what they like—that we as educators know what is best for them; and so we are not valuing them as individuals. We are teaching them that reading is a chore that is controlled by us. That is in no one's best interest.

While a collection of print resources is the most obvious measure of a library, the library of the 21st century is not hampered by walls. There is a wealth of useful databases for students and professionals. Electronic books and programs such as TumbleBooks and myON books provide books to be read online. No collection of print resources can meet everyone's needs, and that is the beauty of electronic resources.

Our students need to read, and they need to be able to get the books they want when they want or need them. A flexible schedule is another way to provide unrestricted access to the library. If a student finishes a book on Tuesday, it does him no good to have to wait until Wednesday to check out another. On the other hand, if he checked out a book on Tuesday, why does he need to come to the library on Wednesday? Students need the books when they need them, not necessarily on their assigned library day. I have seen classes come to the library where half of the students leave without books because they already have something to read. What a waste of instructional time!

AASLs Standards for the 21st-Century Learner lists four standards: learners use skills, resources, and tools to inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge; to draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge; to share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society; and to pursue personal and aesthetic growth. Unrestricted checkout for students assists them to use their skills of locating information to answer the questions they are curious about. They gather new knowledge by taking risks with their reading. They learn to share their knowledge as they discuss the books they are reading, and learn to participate by being responsible book users. Most of all, unrestricted checkout allows students to grow as individuals, as they read about topics of interest to them.

Limiting access to books might have been important fifty years ago, but that time has passed. It is time to allow our students free use of our school libraries. After all, aren't the libraries for them?