Why it matters
The crisis, the evidence, and why a school librarian is the fix — not just the ask.
The literacy crisis
2012 was the peak year for U.S. reading performance. Every national measurement since has come in lower — 40% of fourth graders now read below NAEP basic, the largest share in twenty years.
The school librarian crisis
This isn't only a New Jersey problem. America has lost more than 20% of its school librarians in a decade — and 133 of New Jersey's 535 districts have none at all.
New Jersey's own numbers
New Jersey ranks near the top nationally for education and reading spending — yet ELA readiness splits sharply by subgroup: 71% of economically disadvantaged students are graduation-ready, against 87% of their peers.
The wellbeing case
Reading's effect on empathy, coping, and mental health — a 2023 Cambridge study found measurable differences in stress, attention, and brain volume. Not a test-score argument.
The connection: why this is the fix
Certified school librarian → reading for pleasure → more reading → better reading skills → better academic outcomes and mental health.
See what's actually being lost →