Innercity Libraries

Q.  How reform inner city libraries to try to address the achievement gap between low-income students and privileged students?


A. Merely providing resources--print and technological--did not bridge the gap. Low-income students with low knowledge and background did not make better use of libraries even though the resources had been upgraded significantly. One idea, however, seemed to offer hope--librarians who got out from behind their desks to work actively with students.


JP Neuman and D Celano. Reading Research Quarterly  (Apr/May/Jun 06), 176-201. [RayS: I think the latter finding is significant. Librarians need to be teachers.]