Fifty Years of Supporting Children's Learning: A History of Public School Libraries and Federal Legislation from 1953 to 2000. NCES 2005-311

This report provides basic information on school libraries from 1953-54 to 1999-2000. It describes some of the key variables for which data were available over this nearly 50-year timeframe. This report provides a wealth of information drawn from more than 50 sources, the majority of which are federal surveys and reports. Data in the tables of this document come from nine federally sponsored reports or databases of national data on school libraries. Only datasets that include national-level data were considered for this compilation. The data come from sample surveys that were self-administered. In addition to school library data, the report presents information about the evolving nature of federal legislation, regional school accreditation standards, and other factors relevant to the establishment, financial support, and minimum requirements of public school libraries. This report is divided into four sections: (1) National-Level Data; (2) Regional-Level Data; (3) School-Level Data; and (4) State-Level Data. The following are appended: (1) Per Pupil Measures; (2) Adjusting Dollars Using the Consumer Price Index; (3) States in Regional Accediting Associations; and (4) Standard Error Tables. (Contains 74 tables.)