Should GUSD High Schools Lose Librarians?

Four librarian positions at , , Hoover and Glendale high schools could be eliminated for the 2012-2013 school year while Glendale Unified School District officials begin budget decisions. 

High school librarians were notified last week and the topic is an expected discussion at . 

Crescenta Valley High School librarian Leslie Beaton-Snyder has spent about nine years with the district and doesn't want to lose her position as a librarian. 

"We do so much more than just checking and out books," Beaton-Snyder told Patch. 

"We all have teaching crudentials and we all have library degrees so it’s not the same. I’m not sure what their plan would be, if they have a clerk in here or if they wouldn’t have it open at all," Beaton-Snyder said. 

 A typical day for the librarian involves helping students with scholarly sources, books, Internet searches, helping with computer problems and managing a computer lab, she said. 

"It’s so important for the students. If they didnd’t have that I really think it would be dentrimental," Beaton-Snyder said.

Glendale Teacher's Association President Tami Carlson is expected to speak on behalf of the teachers, she said.

"The other librarians will be there. Hopefully some teachers will be there also to show us support," Beaton-Snyder said. 

No decisions are made, but now it's waiting time. 

"I’m kind of seeing what happens at this time," she said. 

Although she doesn't know the outcome, Beaton-Snyder encouraged locals to attend the meeting or contact the GUSD Board of Education. 

"I really love the school. I love this job. I really don’t want to leave. I’d rather stay in the library and I really love doing this job," Beaton-Snyder said.

"I have hundreds of students pass through the library each day and I’m helping a lot of them. I think it’s just a very vital, necessary thing that we have and I really don’t think it should go away," she said. 

What's happened to the state education budget has taken a toll on the district. 

“As much as we try and keep things as usual, things aren’t as usual,” school board President Joylene Wagner told the Glendale News-Press. 

Wagner told The News-Press nothing is officially decided, but because it was a possibility the librarians needed to be notified.