School Library Evaluation Tool Collecting Information from the 2025-26 Academic Year

This printable version of the CDE Library Evaluation Tool is available for use as a worksheet for your files, for use in training, and before going online. Please note the printed version shows all possible questions, some of which are conditional. The online evaluation tool is located at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/lb and is password protected. Contact Renée Ousley-Swank at 916-319-0449 or ROusleySwank@cde.ca.gov for password information and to schedule a training.

Library Facility and Operation

1. Do you have a dedicated common area in your school designated as the library for the 2025-26 academic year?

Yes, our school has a library located on campus.
Yes, our school has a joint-use school library. A joint-use library is typically defined as two separate library service providers sharing the same building to serve distinct clienteles.
No, we do not have a designated library facility, or the library is not open for use. (This option includes classroom libraries as they are not available to all.)
No, we use a library on an adjacent school campus.

Library Facility and Operation

1. (Continued): Name of the adjacent school library:

Library Facility and Operation

1. (Continued): If your school building does NOT have a designated library facility, what is the reason?

This is a new facility and is not open in 2025–26.
It never had a library facility.
This is an independent study school, or alternative education school.
This is a virtual academy (At the end of the evaluation, there is space to specify how students access the library program).
The library facility closed during the past three years.
The library facility closed more than three years ago.

Library Facility and Operation

1. (Continued): If your school had a library facility in the past but no longer does, what are the reasons for the closure of the school library? Please check all that apply:

Library Facility and Operation

2. Our school has a joint-use library with a:

Public Library
College
Another K–12 school – Within district or outside of district? (If joint-use with another school, each site needs to complete the evaluation questions)

Specify the name of the joint-use partner:

Library Facility and Operation

3. How many hours per typical week are library services available to students?

4. When is the school library service typically available for student use? (Select all that apply.)

5. Approximately how many school days per school year is the library in your building closed for use as a testing space or for other use not related specifically to the library program?

6. What is the approximate maximum seating capacity of the library?

7. Approximately how many students, teachers, and others (whether individually or in classes or other groups) visit the library during a typical week? Count all individuals in the class or group, including teachers.

8. There was enough space to accommodate the library collection, furnishings, and equipment.

Yes
No

Library Staffing and Staff Activities

For answering questions of staff working in the library, consider how the staff is paid. If paid on a teacher contract (annual set salary), then record credentialed, and for staff paid an hourly salary (hourly wage), then record classified.

Credentialed Teacher Librarian – Individual holds a California teaching credential and a California Teacher Librarian Services Credential or an Emergency Teacher Librarian Services Credential and is paid as a teacher on contract.

Credentialed Teacher, Not Librarian – Individual holds a California teaching credential with no library endorsement and is paid as a teacher on contract.

Classified Library Staff – May be called aide, clerk, technician, assistant, etc., but is NOT paid a teacher contract (paid an hourly wage and not a set annual contract).

For more information on who can provide library-related services, see the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing – Authorizations for Librarian Services chart.

9. How many of the following types of staff are assigned to your school library, and what are the total scheduled paid hours per week worked by each type of staff?

Staff Type	i. Number of individuals	ii. Total paid hours per week (duplicated count if multiple individuals)	iii. Full Time Equivalent
a. Teacher librarian with CTC teacher librarian credential
b. Teacher librarian with a permit or waiver from the CTC
c. Credentialed teacher without CTC teacher librarian credential
d. Classified staff (aide, support staff, etc.)
Totals:

10. Other than this library, at how many other school libraries do certificated staff work?

11. Other than this library, at how many other school libraries do classified staff work?

12. Do you have any volunteers, other than students, working in the library?

Yes
No

Library Staffing and Staff Activities

12. (Continued): Approximately how many people volunteered?

12. (Continued): Approximately, how many hours in a week did people volunteer?

Library Staffing and Staff Activities

13. Approximately how often do library staff engage in each of the following types of activities? These activities are not mutually exclusive and may overlap.

a. Serve on school committees or meet with other school leaders:
More than once a week
Once per week
2-3 times per month
Once per month
Less than once per month
With guidance and support from district librarian
N/A

c. Partner with teacher(s) to plan, teach, assess lessons and units of instruction:
More than once a week
Once per week
2-3 times per month
Once per month
Less than once per month
With guidance and support from district librarian
N/A

d. Teach information/media literacy, digital citizenship, etc.:
More than once a week
Once per week
2-3 times per month
Once per month
Less than once per month
With guidance and support from district librarian
N/A

f. Participate in training or professional development:
More than once a week
Once per week
2-3 times per month
Once per month
Less than once per month
With guidance and support from district librarian
N/A

g. Manage the library, including collection development, analysis of the collection (e.g., overall age and relevance; diversity, equity, & inclusion representation), and supervision of ordering:
More than once a week
Once per week
2-3 times per month
Once per month
Less than once per month
With guidance and support from district librarian
N/A

h. Our collection development includes weeding, de-selection, and withdrawals:
More than once a week
Once per week
2-3 times per month
Once per month
Less than once per month
With guidance and support from district librarian
N/A

i. Perform extra duties outside of the typical duties required of library staff (substitute teaching, covering for office staff, monitoring students, etc.):
More than once a week
Once per week
2-3 times per month
Once per month
Less than once per month
With guidance and support from district librarian
N/A

14. Approximately how often do library staff engage in each of the following types of activities related to asset management?

a. Performing distribution, tracking, and management of laptops, Chromebooks, and/or tablets:
Year round: More than once a week
Year Round: 2-3 times per month
Year Round: Once per month
Start/End of Year: More than once per week
Start/End of Year: 2-3 times per month
N/A

b. Performing distribution, tracking, and management of textbooks:
Year round: More than once a week
Year Round: 2-3 times per month
Year Round: Once per month
Start/End of Year: More than once per week
Start/End of Year: 2-3 times per month
N/A

c. Performing distribution, tracking, and management of other assets (e.g., musical instruments, PE uniforms):
Year round: More than once a week
Year Round: 2-3 times per month
Year Round: Once per month
Start/End of Year: More than once per week
Start/End of Year: 2-3 times per month
N/A

Library Staffing and Staff Activities

15. How do you implement the CA Model School Library Standards?

Align the standards to our library instruction.
Embed the standards into the curriculum.
While we are familiar with the standards, we do not use them to guide instruction.
We are not familiar with these standards.
Familiar with the standards and implementation, but instruction is not part of my job description.

Library Collection

16. Approximately how many print books are in the school library collection?

17. What is the average copyright year of all print books in the library collection?
If you cannot calculate the average age of the whole collection using the library management system, then answer with 0000. Round off to a four-digit year.

18. Are any electronic book titles included in the library collection?

Yes
No

19. Does your school library promote and provide access to COMPASS – California Online Media Program for Access and Student Success – Encyclopaedia Britannica, Capstone Pebble Go Science, Pro-Quest (including art resources), Gale (including science, environment, and National Geographic for Kids), TeachingBooks?

Yes
No
I am not sure

20. What entity managed the collection?

Schoolsite
District
County Office of Education
Agreement with public library

Library Budget

21. What is the current annual budget for library books as well as non-print and online resources?

22. Check one or more of the following funds used to purchase library materials during the 2025-26 academic year.

23. What information would you like to share that was not asked in this library program evaluation tool (e.g., what you are most proud of; explanation of fund raising; description of how you split time between sites; what support would you like)?

Contact Information

Respondent Information

Name:

Title:

Email:

Phone:

Library website URL:

(If your library has a website.)

In case we need to clarify any of your answers, please provide the appropriate contact information for the individual responsible for library services in your district. (In some cases this may be the same individual as above.)

Name:

Email:

Phone:

Thank you for your time and effort to complete this evaluation tool. Your answers are invaluable.

In order to complete the submission, you must select the “Next” button, and on the next page select the “Submit” button.

Questions: Renée Ousley-Swank, Education Consultant | ROusleySwank@cde.ca.gov | 916-319-0449

California Department of Education
1430 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

Web Policy

↑