School Library Advocacy to Get Your Groove Back

I recently returned from another conference where technology in education was the focus. Of the sessions I chose to attend, a couple of them didn't promote the use of technology at all. A few others just taught the technology tool. They were taught by either a team of school librarian/teacher or instructional technology facilitator/teacher. But the overall emphasis seemed to be on the tech tool being the focus, not the educational outcome.

As a school librarian, I feel that we may have lost some of our focus. I feel we need to move beyond just teaching technology tools, and move toward collaboratively planning lessons with teachers that allow them to utilize tools and strategies in developing higher order thinking skills and personalized learning. Then we need to demonstrate that practice for other librarians/teachers/administrators who are unsure what that looks like in practice. Also, there needs to be student choice and voice, either in the technology tools they use for creation; choice of reading materials for study, analysis, and grades; and in how we personalize their instruction/learning. In order to advocate for our positions, we need to make it our practice to team plan and teach with teachers and specialists in order to make this happen. Otherwise our value is overlooked and becomes diminished. 

What can we do to be library advocates?

• attend grade level / department level PLT's when planning lessons & reviewing data (PLT - Professional Learning Team)
• become a member of the SIT team (School Improvement Team)
• develop a relationship with your administrative staff; provide updates on your progress with students in your library often; let them see what you do and how your time is allocated in the library
• stay up to date on grade level / library practices, pedagogy, technology tools, and curriculum standards in order to plan & share
• curate resources tailored to student & teacher needs
• to start, work with one teacher per grade level /  department to plan & team teach; most won't come to you
• be active and involved in your local, state, and national library associations
• advocate for a flexible schedule or a fixed / flexible schedule. This will give you availability to meet the needs of students & teachers.
• create an online presence on social media with a PLN (Professional Learning Network) & stay active (participate in Twitter chats, Facebook Library groups, Instagram, etc.)
• partner with businesses in your local community
• create and develop your brand; you represent your library, your students, your school, your profession
• develop your library space to be flexible and meeting current needs of 21st century students. Partner with students / staff for input. Design your space to be the "hub" of your school. May need grants, fundraising dollars, etc. 
• promote your library within your school, especially in April for AASL School Library Month. They have lots of promos and printables. This year, it is all about "Making Connection at your School Library".  http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/slm #AASLslm
• Become a Future Ready Librarian by partnering with librarians, administrators, teachers and staff using the resources found at https://futureready.org/program-overview/librarians/ #futurereadylibs 
• Ask for help if you need it. Librarians are a passionate group who love to share. We are here for you. Take a look at this graphic created by Jennifer LaGarde. It explains our position perfectly. (And she is is an awesome librarian to have in your PLN. @JenniferLaGarde

These are just a few things that will give you a larger voice for you as a librarian, your library and your students. Remember, school librarians are rock stars for students and teachers. Let your star shine! 

The Importance of School Library Funding

Over the course of the last week, I have eagerly monitored my Donors Choose project. I had never used this avenue of project funding before. Starting the new school year and not having any funds to purchase the 2015 NCCBA or national award books yet, I decided to give it a try. I advertised it on Facebook and Twitter. So grateful for all my friends and librarians who have either shared this project with their friends or made a donation! But a week later, my project is still not fully funded (didn't realize how hard it would be to raise $494 and the first week every donation up to $100 was doubled). Needless to say, I'm disappointed.

I think I am more disappointed that public school libraries have to beg for funding, considering that the books and materials service the entire student and teacher population. According to the American Library Association: 

 All school library media programs should be adequately funded to ensure that they include up-to-date collections in both print and electronic formats.

 All students should have the benefit of trained school librarian, who can guide them in learning to use and understand a wide variety of information sources.

 The school library program should be integrated with classroom curriculum so that students learn to make connections between subject areas, retrieve information and think independently. ALA School Library Funding


I couldn't agree more. School library funding has become an issue in many states and districts. Federal, state and local legislatures should allocate funding for school libraries as part of their budgets. Now, in addition to teacher, information specialist, instructional technologist, and library program administrator, we have also become fundraising specialists. This requires additional time that is taken away from instructional time but yet has become a necessity. So now, in addition to the 5-7 fixed classes a day that I plan detailed lessons for, I need to worry about how to pay for supplies and library curriculum materials. Our students deserve so much more, especially our students that depend on the school library to supply ALL of their reading material because they have none at home. 

Please don't get me wrong. I have the best career in the world. I'll take on these roles anyway. But our schools, teachers and students need and deserve SO much more. If the media center is going to be the "hub" of the school that serves ALL students, we need to provide funding there also. Our students are counting on us. 

For more school library studies, visit School Libraries Impact Studies

To donate to our library project, visit Award Books for Voting 2015 Project