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My name is Kim Adamo, and I have had the honor of being the Library Media Specialist at Killam Elementary School for the last 13 years. As our town approaches the upcoming override vote and faces difficult budget choices, I want to share what a certified Library Media Specialist actually brings to our schools every single day and what our students stand to lose if this position is cut.
While instilling a lifelong love of reading is a core part of my job, a modern library media center is so much more. It is the academic hub, the technological launchpad, and the safety net of our school.
Here is what happens in our library every day:
We teach digital literacy and critical thinking. Elementary library is the only time in our district, where each student is guaranteed computer science instruction. I teach students how to navigate this world safely and smartly. I teach them how to evaluate sources, conduct academic research, cite sources, and protect their privacy online. These are not optional extras; they are fundamental 21st-century survival skills for college and careers.
We support teachers and curriculum. I work directly with classroom teachers across every grade level and subject, co-planning lessons, curating specialized research, integrating new instructional technology, and connecting classroom topics with rich multimedia resources. When I was hired I was told I was like an additional member on each team and that is something that as an entire team, we have held as a philosophy. When you support the library media specialist, you multiply the effectiveness of every classroom teacher in the building.
In our media center, every child gets equal access to premium databases, digital tools, coding software, and diverse print collections. I help troubleshoot devices, integrate learning management systems, and ensure no student gets left behind in our digital world. Access to these services are jeopardized without a full-time certified library media specialist.
We drive student reading and literacy achievement. Study after study over the last two decades has confirmed a direct link: schools with full-time, certified library media specialists consistently show higher student reading scores and academic achievement, regardless of socio-economic background. Why? Because matching the right book to the right child at the right moment changes everything. I know our collection, and more importantly, I get to know our students as individuals over the years they spend in our school. My favorite part of my job is that I watch our students grow up from kindergarten all the way to middle school and beyond.
Cutting a library media specialist might look like a simple line item saving on paper, but in reality, that workload doesn’t disappear. It falls onto already overburdened classroom teachers, or the resources simply go unused and unmanaged.
Investing in our library is an investment in every student, every teacher, and the future of our town. I urge you to support our schools and preserve this vital role for our children.
Please vote YES for the override on November 3rd to support our students and our community.
Thank you,
Kim Adamo
School Library Media Specialist at Killam Elementary School
