CALCON 2024

As with many school districts, Denver Public Schools has seen a marked decline in not only the number of librarians employed by our district, but also the number of libraries in our district, period. Many principals, due to budget constraints, a hyperfocus on standardized testing, and a general unfamiliarity with the benefits of a school library, have stopped using their libraries entirely and turned them into storage areas, classrooms, offices, and perhaps the place where they put the popcorn machine. Much of DPS Library Services' work, then, has focused on getting these libraries back in business. This work, however, involves much more than weeding, cleaning, and inventorying (although that is certainly a lot of it). What this presentation will focus on are the strategies DPS has employed for getting library services back in schools where the library has fallen by the wayside. The three main strategies we will discuss are the volunteer model; the teacher model; and the self-checkout model. Additionally, this presentation will discuss the benefits and problems with each of these models, as well as their sustainability in an educational environment not predisposed to libraries.