How did Philly lose its school librarians?
If you grew up with a school librarian, you remember the magic: the caring adult who always knew the perfect book and greeted you with, “Hey, I think you’ll love this.”
In Philadelphia today, most kids never meet that person.
The School District of Philadelphia now employs just two full-time certified teacher librarians for 218 schools. Two. For the entire district.
It’s a staggering gap, and it didn’t happen overnight.
At our latest Lunch & Learn, we sat down with two passionate advocates from the Philadelphia Alliance to Restore School Librarians (PARSL), Lauren Macaluso Popp, a Rutgers grad student training to become a school librarian, and Caitlin Gerrity, a former school librarian now training the next generation, to break down why school librarians are essential to student success and how Philly can bring them back.
Here’s what they shared.
The Decline
1991: The District employed 176 librarians, covering about 68% of schools. Not perfect, but substantial.
Late 1990s: The District stopped funding librarian positions. The cuts were gradual but relentless.
2001: The District closed its central library office entirely, eliminating the institutional backbone for school libraries across the system.
2012: Only 43 librarians remained. By then, the rationale had shifted: classroom libraries and Chromebooks were framed as cheaper, more modern alternatives.
Today: Two full-time certified teacher librarians. For over 116,000 students.
Why It Happened
In the early 2000s, budget crises hit education hard, and libraries were labeled expendable. The logic went something like this:
The internet has everything. English teachers can cover reading. A volunteer can shelve books.
But librarians do more than stock shelves and read stories. They support literacy and research skills and help students become critical thinkers. And in Pennsylvania, a school librarian certification requires a teaching license.
Another issue: Pennsylvania provides no state funding for school libraries and no requirement that schools have one at all. With no mandate, cuts went unchecked.
As librarians disappeared, so did institutional memory. Many administrators and classroom teachers have never worked with a certified librarian. Generations of Philly students grew up without school libraries, then became parents who understandably didn’t realize just how much their kids were missing.
How do you fight for something you’ve never seen, especially when your community is already facing other challenges?
Other Cities Turned It Around
A recent PARSL report examined 11 large urban districts that successfully restored school librarian positions. New York City, which faced similar challenges, now employs 550 librarians. Washington, D.C., made similar progress.
These cities didn't have drastically different circumstances. They had sustained advocacy, committed leadership, and dedicated funding streams.
The Path Forward
Drive a few miles outside of the city, and kids have what Philly kids don't: fully staffed, fully stocked school libraries. The difference isn’t just wealth; it’s policy.
Philadelphia didn’t lose its librarians to technology or changing times. It lost them to budget decisions. Which means they can be restored exactly the same way: through prioritization, partnership, and positive pressure.
The District recently lost IMLS grant funding that supported initial restoration efforts. Despite this setback, PARSL continues to meet regularly with District leadership, who remain actively committed to this cause. Bills mandating school librarians have appeared in five Pennsylvania legislative sessions. None have passed yet, but momentum is growing.
In June 2025, more than 100 advocates staged a Read-In at the District’s administrative building as a quiet call to action: fund school libraries and hire certified teacher librarians. The event was organized by PARSL, the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association (PSLA), and EveryLibrary.
What You Can Do
Watch the Lunch & Learn recording and share this post.
Download an advocacy poster.
Is it really a school without a library and a trained expert to bring it to life? Philly’s kids deserve the basics of a strong education. Help restore their future.
