Roberto Germán [00:00:01]:
Welcome to Our Classroom. In this space, we talk about education, which is inclusive of but not limited to what happens in schools. Education is taking place whenever and wherever we are willing to learn. I am your host, Roberto Germán, and Our Classroom is officially in session. Welcome back to our classroom. Today I want to talk about something that shouldn't be controversial. Books, Libraries, Access, and who gets it. I came across a post, a social media post by Tianisha Torres, an educator from Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Roberto Germán [00:00:42]:
She had just come back from ncte, the National Council of Teachers of English conference, with boxes of books. Of course not. Because she was expanding and already thriving classroom library, which she has not. Because she was adding a few new titles, which she was. She was trying to fill a gap, a gap that should not exist. In her post, she wrote that she could count on one hand the number of schools in Lawrence to have a functional library. Think about that city of thousands of students, generations of young people, generations. In an educator saying she can count the functional libraries on one hand, that got my attention.
Roberto Germán [00:01:29]:
Because somewhere along the way, we started treating libraries like a luxury, as if they're an extra, they're optional. They belong in the category of nice to have rather than essential. And pause for a moment. You cannot tell me literacy matters while eliminating access to books. Not convinced? You cannot tell me reading matters while cutting library positions. No, no, no, no. Let's. Let's not cut them.
Roberto Germán [00:02:05]:
Keep that in the budget. There's other things I think that we could cut. Oh, do we have time to get into controversy? Anyways, you cannot tell me student achievement matters when while allowing library shelves to sit empty. The contradiction is in our faces. It's too obvious. And as an educator, I've worked in schools with incredible libraries. I've also worked in schools where students had almost no access to books beyond whatever was handed to them during class. And there's a difference.
Roberto Germán [00:02:41]:
A huge difference. Sorry, folks, couldn't help it. A library isn't just a room. Library is possibility. We could dream and learn and be creative. It's where students stumble across a book they didn't know they needed. Where a child finds character and characters plural, who look like them, right? And oftentimes we don't. We don't see that worked into the curriculum.
Roberto Germán [00:03:13]:
It's where a student discovers a new passion, a new perspective, a new future. Libraries are one of the few places in a school where curiosity gets to lead. And curiosity matters. Especially now. What struck me most about the post Saw what I did there. Rhyme scheme wasn't even the frustration. It was the Comparison. Tianisha mentioned neighboring communities.
Roberto Germán [00:03:40]:
North Andover, Andover, Lexington. Places where robust libraries are expected. It's normal, taken for granted. Nobody has to launch a campaign to convince people that students deserve books. Nobody has to argue that libraries matter. The expectation is already there. And that's where the equity conversation begins. And, you know, we talk a lot about equity because equity.
Roberto Germán [00:04:06]:
Equity isn't simply about treating everyone the same. Equity asks a harder question. Why is access so different depending on a child's zip code? Why do some students grow up surrounded by books while others have to fight for basic access? Why is a fully staffed library considered standard in one community and unrealistic in another? Those aren't literacy questions. Those are justice questions. Now, I know somebody listening might be thinking, roberto, schools have limited budgets, and that's true. I know. I was a school principal. Every district faces difficult decisions.
Roberto Germán [00:04:57]:
Budgets reveal priorities. They tell a story. You know, I'm a writer. I do some storytelling. But the budget tells the story, too. We're building new facilities while libraries crumble. That's a story. If we're talking about literacy while eliminating libraries, that's a story.
Roberto Germán [00:05:22]:
If we're worried about reading scores but not access to reading materials, that's a story. The question is, what story are we telling our children? One of the things I've learned over the years is that students notice. They notice what adults invest in. They notice what adults protect. They notice what adults allow to disappear. Poof. When a student walks into a beautiful library, they receive a message. I think about the library at St.
Roberto Germán [00:05:57]:
John's Preparatory School in Danvers, Massachusetts, and the message the library sends is, you matter. Your imagination matters. Your learning matters. Your future matters. When those spaces disappear, students receive a different message, whether we intend it or not. And here's the thing. This isn't about books. It's about belonging.
Roberto Germán [00:06:25]:
Books help students understand themselves, understand other people. They help students make sense of a complicated world. At a time when we talk so much about empathy, critical thinking, civic engagement, and student voice, libraries remain one of the most powerful places where those things are cultivated. Not through worksheets. That's so tiring. Not through. Through. Through test prep.
Roberto Germán [00:06:57]:
You see my bilingualism coming out through stories. So maybe today's a simple reminder. Libraries matter. Librarians shout out to y', all, matter. Access matters. And students everywhere deserve the same opportunity to discover the joy, wonder, challenge, and possibility that books provide, not just students in affluent communities. All. And I'm not talking about detergent.
Roberto Germán [00:07:29]:
All students, every student. Because literacy shouldn't depend on a zip code and access to books shouldn't depend on be a privilege. It should be an expectation. Appreciate y' all jumping into the classroom right quick. And if this conversation resonated with you, you already know what to do. Share with another educator, librarian, an administrator, a community member, Maybe ask a simple question. What is the state of our school library? The answer might tell us more than we think. Until next time, teaching truth.
Roberto Germán [00:08:11]:
Lead with courage. Belong to a community that gets it. As always, your engagement in Our Classroom is greatly appreciated. Be sure to subscribe, rate the show, and write a review. Finally, for resources to help you understand the intersection of race, bias, education, and society, go to multiculturalclassroom.com Peace and love from your host, Roberto Herman.
