epilogue
Our Story Continues
Numerous national studies document the critical importance of childhood literacy for future academic and life success, as well as the importance of well-equipped, well-staffed libraries in helping children to overcome the impacts of poverty on literacy and learning. The Weinberg Foundation intends to add to this body of research through ongoing evaluation, which continues to demonstrate the Library Project’s impact on academic achievement.
The Foundation initially partnered with the Baltimore Education Research Consortium (BERC) to evaluate the impact of renovated libraries within the school community. The first two evaluations examined six libraries completed during the Library Project’s first and second years. Then, building upon that research, the Foundation commissioned the first comprehensive evaluation of the Baltimore Library Project looking at impact within the nine schools completed during the Project’s first three years:
- Book checkouts at the first nine schools increased by 400 percent over a four-year period.
- Reading fluency scores among third-grade students in two of the first three Library Project schools rose from 33 percent of students at benchmark to 64 percent at benchmark—a 94 percent increase (*Reading fluency measured through DIBELS; the third school did not collect this data).
- Library Project students in the third-grade were almost three times as likely to meet reading fluency proficiency standards as students in comparison schools.
- The first three Library Project schools outperformed more than 120 Baltimore City Public Schools on PARCC tests in reading proficiency.
Resources
- Media Releases
- Coverage
- Internal Research and Publications
- External Research and Sources
Book Drive Releases
- Baltimore Library Project Book Drive Raises More Than $18,000
- Baltimore Library Project Book Drive Raises More Than $22,000
- Baltimore Library Project Book Drive Raises Record $19,000
- Baltimore Library Project Book Drive Raises More Than $11,000
- Weinberg Foundation Library Project Book Drive Raises More Than $20,000
- Baltimore Library Project Book Drive Collects More Than 13,000 Books
- Weinberg Foundation Library Project Book Drive Results 13,000 Books Collected Valued at nearly $75,000
Library Releases
- Weinberg Foundation Announces Additional $5 Million to Expand and Strengthen Baltimore Library Project
- Baltimore Library Project Celebrates 14th New Library in Baltimore City Public Schools
- Weinberg Foundation Dedicates 12th and 13th Libraries in Baltimore City Public Schools
- Weinberg Foundation Dedicates 10th And 11th Libraries In Baltimore City Public Schools
- Grand Openings Represent Start Of Major Citywide Children's Initiative
- Weinberg Foundation Increases Library Project Funding
- Weinberg Foundation Celebrates First “Library Project” Grand Openings
- Weinberg Foundation Announces Baltimore City Schools Selected For Second Year Of “Library Project”
- Weinberg Foundation Announces $5 Million Commitment To Build 12 New School Libraries
- Weinberg Foundation Leads Launch of Groundbreaking Baltimore City School Library Project
YouTube
Please click here to visit the Weinberg Foundation's YouTube channel to see Library Project content!
Various coverage of Penny Challenge Event, April 2017:
- WMAR-TV (ABC2)
- WBAL-TV
- Baltimore Sun
Various coverage of Annual Book Drive, March 2017:
Various coverage of Annual Book Drive, April 2016:
Various coverage of Library Grand Openings, September 2015:
- WBAL-TV
- WBFF-TV (Fox 45)
- The Daily Record
Various coverage of Annual Book Drive, March 2015:
Various coverage of Library Grand Openings, September 2013:
- Baltimore Sun - Online article posted on the evening of September 23 and page 2 of September 24 edition.
- WJZ-TV - Package (self-contained report introduced by anchor) by Jessica Kartalija at 6p.m.
- WBFF-TV (Fox 45) - 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Various coverage of Annual Book Drive, March 2013:
- WBAL-TV - Online article posted on the evening of March 1.
Various coverage of Library Grand Openings, September 2012:
- Baltimore Sun - Online article posted on the evening of September 12 and page 2 of September 13 edition.
- WBFF-TV (Fox 45)/WBAL-TV/WMAR (ABC2) - A total of 19 morning live reports by all three stations.
- WBAL Radio - Rachel Garbow Monroe, Weinberg Foundation President, interviewed by Mary Beth Marsden for Maryland News Now (afternoon drive show).
- WBFF-TV (Fox 45) - 5 & 10 pm
- WBAL-TV - YouTube video posted by WBAL, evening show vo/sot
- WMAR-TV (ABC2) - Online story posted after morning live shots.
Various coverage of Annual Book Drive, March 2012:
- Fox 45 Morning Show/March 8, 2012
- Baltimore Sun Article/March 2, 2012
- Publishers Weekly/March 2, 2012
- Fox 45 Morning Show/December 14, 2011
Various coverage of Library Project Launch, December 2011:
Miscellaneous Coverage:
Report on the Baltimore Library Project: Years 1-3 | 2017
Report on the Baltimore Library Project: Years 1-3 (Executive Summary) | 2017
SummerREADS/Library Program Evaluation Report | Summer 2014, (Released) 2015
A Library They Deserve: The Baltimore Elementary and Middle School Library Project | 2014
Reports/data on childhood literacy
- Early Warning! Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters | The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2010
- Baltimore City Schools District Profile | Baltimore City Schools, Fall 2019
Reports on the relationship between academic achievement and poverty
- Looking at School Performance From a Different Perspective: A Maryland Report Card Reflecting Students Served | Baltimore Education Research Consortium, June 2019
- Five Social Disadvantages That Depress Student Performance | Economic Policy Institute, June 2015
- A double dose of disadvantage: Language experiences for low-income children in home and school. | American Psychological Association, 2018
- Education and Socioeconomic Status | American Psychological Association, July 2017
Reports on importance of library quality
- Haves, Halves, and Have-Nots: School Libraries and Student Achievement in California | University of North Texas, December 2008
- Why school librarians matter: What years of research tell us | Phi Delta Kappan, March 2018
- School Libraries Impact Studies | Library Research Service, 1999-2015
- Importance of the school library in learning — the research | The National Library of New Zealand, 2019
- Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement: A Review of the Research | Australian Council for Educational Research, January 2003