Misperception of the Library

 I was talking with a teacher friend of mine who's daughter is a first year teacher and the daughter mentioned that the 4th graders at her school don't go to the library due to schedule issues and something else that I don't remember, but the comment that bothered me was that the administration said it was a waste of time for the 4th graders to go.
My first comment, was "What!" How can a school get away with that? I don't know all of the reasoning behind the decision, but I started thinking about the perception of libraries.

This is my first year as a librarian and I am already feeling the pull of administration and others to do things outside of the library, for example covering classes for child study meetings, taking students to their lunch time to help out classroom teachers. I guess my thought is that it will be up to me to prove and to show that my job is important and that yes I can be supportive in times of need, however I want my teachers and students to see me as an important resource, not just a sub or pack-mule :)
According to an article on the ALA site:
"Across the United States, studies have demonstrated that students in schools with effective school library programs learn more, get better grades, and score higher on standardized tests than their peers in schools without such resources." Retrieved from the ALA website.
I see the excitement when students come into the library and I know that my students are technology driven, so there must be a delicate balance to offer both.

Also noted on the website: http://www.ilovelibraries.org/school-libraries

"More than 60 education and library research studies have produced clear evidence that school library programs staffed by qualified school librarians have a positive impact on student academic achievement."

Yet, many students are returning to school without a resource essential for success: a strong school library program lead by a certified school librarian.

An article from the website: 
http://askatechteacher.com/2015/05/16/21st-century-school-how-technology-is-changing-education/

discusses the importance of technology in schools and introducing it in our schools at an early age so that our students are ready for the working world.

One interesting area of discussion in the article said:

"On the primary and high-school levels, schools that successfully integrate technology into their classrooms see increased performance, better behavior from students, and lowered drop-out rates.


Schools that implement technology in their classrooms see a 92 percent reduction in the need for disciplinary action, a 90 percent increase in high-stakes test scores, 89 percent fewer drop-outs, and a 63 percent increase in graduation rates. Tablets, laptops, educational gaming software, and smartphones allow schools to:

Personalize the learning experience
Increase student engagement and collaboration through social media, simulations, and games
Efficiently assess student progress as often as once a week, for more carefully tailored educational experiences
Address the special needs of kids struggling with learning or cognitive disabilities, language barriers, or other obstacles to learning
All of this can be addressed in the library and this brings me back to my concern that if we as librarians don't offer these skills and balance it with books, we will be seen as non-essential and that would be a crime.