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School Librarians Take the Lead During the Pandemic

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School Librarians Take the Lead During the Pandemic

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April is School Library Month-a time to recognize school libraries and librarians as information and technology experts in their schools and communities. Schools across the country are closed to slow the spread of COVID-19, but teaching and learning continues. School librarians are meeting the challenge in innovative ways, keeping their learners and fellow teachers connected and engaged from afar.

As schools transition to distance learning, librarians have played a key role in making sure the online materials, resources and tools needed by educators and students are readily available. In Dare County, North Carolina, school librarians worked to ensure every student in need of a Chromebook was able to borrow one starting during the first week of school closures. School librarians are also working closely with teachers to help them manage the technological challenges of transitioning to online learning. Dare County Schools librarians have also teamed up with the district's technology staff to host webinars and offer professional development sessions to support teachers as they got the hang of remote instruction.

School librarians are finding creative ways to keep students excited about reading during these unprecedented times by promoting digital access to online materials like eBooks and audiobooks. Some have also found ways to safely disseminate physical books while maintaining social distancing: Blake Hopper-school librarian at Powell Valley Elementary School, Powell Valley Middle School, TNT Primary School, and Forge Ridge School in Tennessee-left boxes full of donated books outside his school buildings that students could take home.

Many school librarians have also hosted digital book clubs and other online programs to promote a culture of literacy in their communities. Erika Long, school librarian at Thurgood Marshall Middle School in Nashville, Tennessee, has been hosting livestreams on Instagram in which different guests discuss books and the arts. Some school librarians have even hosted digital programs for the whole family: Manteo Middle School in North Carolina organized virtual trivia competitions and an upcoming family lip syncing night.

School libraries have long been an essential part of the learning environment. "School libraries are the heart of the school. Many times students and staff need a safe place. We are that place. We can offer them a place to read, create, study, or a place to just relax and take a moment to reflect," Blake Hopper told I Love Libraries. "As school libraries evolve, it is becoming more apparent how important we are."

Jennisen Lucas, District Librarian for Park County School District #6 in Wyoming, adds: "We live in an information economy, and our learners need to be well-versed in how to locate and use information. School librarians are experts at teaching others to engage with the information in an efficient and ethical manner. Information literacy is vital for our students to create our future."

An easy way to support School Library Month in your community is simply spreading the word about why school libraries are so essential. "Members of the public can offer support by sharing the importance of libraries and librarians with anyone they meet and by advocating for funding for school library programs," Chelsea Bradley, Media Coordinator at Nags Head Elementary School in North Carolina and AASL School Library Month 2020 Committee member, told I Love Libraries.

Erika Long adds: "Funding for school libraries across the country is an issue of inequity. Access to high-quality, current materials is not a privilege; it's a right. In order for school libraries to see the gap in equitable funding begin to close, it will take community members helping to speak for this to make it happen."
To learn more, visit the School Library Month webpage.

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School Librarians Take the Lead During the Pandemic

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April is School Library Month-a time to recognize school libraries and librarians as information and technology experts in their schools and communities. Schools across the country are closed to slow the spread of COVID-19, but teaching and learning continues. School librarians are meeting the challenge in innovative ways, keeping their learners and fellow teachers connected and engaged from afar.

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The 10 Minute Library Advocate: Celebrate Success

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The 10 Minute Library Advocate: Celebrate Success

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Advocacy is not always easy.

Through this series, we have shared 50 ideas of what you can do in 10 minutes to become a more effective advocate.

Together, that's over eight hours of activity.

Of course in reality you may spend longer in order to think, plan, and do things, and to meet the medium-term (see Exercise #44) or long-term goals (see Exercise #7) you've set yourself, using your measures of success (see Exercise #46).

With all that work, you deserve a moment to rest and congratulate yourself.

So for our 50 th and final 10-Minute Library Advocate exercise, celebrate success!

Think about how things have changed, and how you have affected this. Think also about what else you want to do in the future!

Good luck - you deserve it!
See the introduction and previous posts in our 10-Minute Library Advocate series and join the discussion on social media using the #EveryLibrarianAnAdvocate hashtag!

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The 10-Minute Library Advocate #50: Celebrate Success

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Advocacy is not always easy. Through this series, we have shared 50 ideas of what you can do in 10 minutes to become a more effective advocate. Together, that's over eight hours of activity.

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In particular check out the message triangle mentioned.

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As part of our special package on libraries and civic engagement, we asked a few members of the American Library Association's (ALA) Policy Corps-library workers specially trained in advocacy and policy issues-to give us their tips and best practices for being effective library advocates. Here's what they had to say about what works and what doesn't when meeting with members of Congress, their staffers, and other decision-makers.

"Library issues are surprisingly easy to tie to bigger issues in Congress. Creating and maintaining 21st-century infrastructure and net neutrality, for example, are hot topics right now."
Kate A. Alderete, d irector at Taos (N.Mex.) Public Library and 2019 ALA Policy Corps Member

Hannah Buckland, s tate library program specialist at the Minnesota Department of Education and 2018 ALA Policy Corps Member Mary Pellicano, librarian at Loudon County (Va.) Public Schools and 2019 ALA Policy Corps Member
"When libraries advocate for a shared goal alongside other institutions-like schools and workforce agencies-we expand the reach of our library network and demonstrate the full breadth of what's at stake with any issue."
Raymond Pun, i nstruction and research librarian at Alder Graduate School of Education in Redwood City, California, Deborah Rinio, assistant teaching professor at Montana State University in Bozeman, adjunct instructor at University of Alaska Fairbanks, Nicole H. Robinson, d eputy director at Houston Public Library Lance Werner, executive director at Kent District Library in Comstock Park, Michigan, and 2018 ALA Policy Corps Member and 2019 ALA Policy Corps Member and 2018 ALA Policy Corps Member and 2019 ALA Policy Corps Member
"It is up to us to ensure that our policymakers view our advocacy through a modern lens. From Wi-Fi access and digital learning resources to STEAM programming, makerspaces, and meeting places, the library provides growth opportunities for potential employees and employers alike."

"We all have stories to share about how our libraries impact our communities, but they need connect to the stakeholders' own interests. Develop a message triangle to create three key messages backed with data or analogies."

"Being an effective library advocate starts with realizing that anyone can-and should-advocate for libraries. You don't need to be an expert, in charge, or even a library employee."

"Policy Corps training has helped to underscore for me just how much is at stake if we don't advocate for libraries-access to opportunity, not just for the millions of people libraries impact every day, but also for the government agencies, nonprofits, churches, schools, and businesses that rely on libraries to achieve their own missions."

"Informal, relationship-based advocacy is the most powerful tool in politics. It can beat money and partisanship. I strongly recommend that anyone advocating on behalf of libraries leaves their political bias at home."

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Advocacy Tips from ALA's Policy Corps | American Libraries Magazine

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As part of our special package on libraries and civic engagement, we asked a few members of the American Library Association's (ALA) Policy Corps-library workers specially trained in advocacy and policy issues-to give us their tips and best practices for being effective library advocates.

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Advocacy for your Library during a Crisis

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Advocacy for your Library during a Crisis

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COVID-19 brought about some new issues in Advocacy. This may be an interesting source to consider.

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Advocacy for Your Library During a Crisis

Presented Live: Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Scroll down to register for access to this recording.

Links to Other COVID-19 Webinars:

How can you work with your local elected officials on library advocacy during this time of COVID-19, and beyond? Learn how to approach advocacy during a time of crisis, and how to craft your messaging for success. A panel of expert speakers will provide guidance. Hear tips for Trustees, Friends, Foundations, and other community-based advocacy groups, as well as library staff.

Featured presenters will be Peter Pearson, 2019-2020 United for Libraries President; Libby Post, CEO, Communication Services; Megan Cusick, Assistant Director for State Advocacy in ALA's Public Policy and Advocacy office, and Sonja Eyler, Librarian for the City of Presque Isle at the Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library. Deborah Doyle, Chair of United for Libraries' Legislative Committee and President of California Public Library Advocates, will moderate.

Peter Pearson is a Founder/Senior Consultant for Library Strategies Consulting Group. He was president of the Friends of the Saint Paul (Minn.) Public Library for 25 years. As president of the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, he led three capital campaigns and coordinated an annual grassroots advocacy campaign that added millions of dollars of public funding to the library's budget. He also served as a Trustee for the Twin Cities Regional Library System for 10 years.

Libby Post is a political consultant who uses her advocacy, marketing, and strategic communication skills to help libraries wage successful funding campaigns. She authored the five-part Library Campaign Training Institute. She serves on the United for Libraries Board and is a member of ALA's Committee on Library Advocacy. She was a trainer for United for Libraries' Neal-Schuman Citizens Save Libraries program. In her home state of New York, she has shepherded her library clients to voter victory with a win margin of 84%.

Megan Murray Cusick is the Assistant Director for State Advocacy in ALA's Public Policy and Advocacy office. She assists the advocacy efforts of librarians, library staff and advocates across the country, in cooperation with other ALA offices, as well as state chapters and affiliates. She has also provided support to the Center for the Future of Libraries by identifying the work of libraries that intersects with broader social trends. Prior to joining ALA in 2015, Megan was a high school librarian and co-founder of Chi School Librarians.

Sonja Plummer Eyler serves as the Librarian for the City of Presque Isle at the Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library. Sonja received a Bachelor of Science in Library Information Technology in 2003 and a Master of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina in 2007. As a past President for the Association for Rural & Small Libraries and President for the Maine Library Association, she is aware of the uniqueness of rural and remote libraries and the organizations supporting them. Sonja lives with a husband, daughter, 12 horses, and 2 dogs in Presque Isle, Maine.

Deborah Doyle, MLIS, is chair of the United for Libraries Legislative Committee. She currently serves as vice chair of the Sonoma County Public Library Commission and president of California Public Library Advocates.

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Advocacy for Your Library During a Crisis

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Scroll down to register for access to this recording. Links to Other COVID-19 Webinars: How can you work with your local elected officials on library advocacy during this time of COVID-19, and beyond? Learn how to approach advocacy during a time of crisis, and how to craft your messaging for success.

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You do not have to watch the whole webinar.  The slides from the presentation are below the video. You may want to check those out and look at some of the tools hotspotted in the Thinglink at the bottom of the post.

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Connected Librarian Day 2014.

I feel incredibly honored to have been asked by Joyce Valenza to share some of the things that I do with my library program. I am beyond excited to be joining the ranks of some of my favorite librarian heroes.

See the full schedule of events and read about all of the incredibly talented presenters at Library 2.0.

For my part, I decided to talk about, communicating to your stakeholders, a subject that has been on my mind quite a bit, especially since I got to hear the fabulous Jennifer LaGarde (aka Library Girl) speak at KASL Summer Refresher this year.

Most recently I've presented on a similar topic at KASL Fall Conference with James Allen. You can see what we talked about for library advocacy [ here].

I can't wait to share some of the ways that I have been working to create a library presence for my stakeholders that both provides them with what they need and helps to keep our library program and students on everyone's mind.

I think one of the best things we can do for our students is identify our stakeholder priorities and work to deliver information to each stakeholder group that relates to those priorities.

See the Archived Webinar Below:)

Your Connected Librarian Stakeholder Toolkit - Slides

Your Connected Librarians Stakeholder Toolkit Resources

Hover over the image below and see links to different resources/examples that you might find helpful.

Additional Links:
AASL School Library Program Health and Wellness Toolkit http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/tools/toolkits/health-wellness

ALA crafting your message
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/advleg/advocacyuniversity/frontline_advocacy/frontline_school/everyday/crafting

Publicity -
http://eduscapes.com/marketing/9.htm

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#CLD14: Your Connected Librarian Toolkit

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I feel incredibly honored to have been asked by Joyce Valenza to share some of the things that I do with my library program. I am beyond excited to be joining the ranks of some of my favorite librarian heroes. See the full schedule of events and read about all of the incredibly talented presenters at Library 2.0.

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by Pamela Rossow

If you are a K-12 teacher or a college professor, you may be searching for new ways to promote digital literacy in your classroom.

Or just plain literacy literacy, for that matter.

Infographics can be useful teaching tools as they use so many elements of traditional "teaching": the writing process, research, and planning, all while combining digital and traditional text forms. What exactly are infographics?

Infographics are "graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge intended to present complex information quickly and clearly"[i]. They may be thought of as picture graphs yet tend to be more interesting than your typical bar graph or pie chart.
What are infographics made up of?
Infographics 4 primary components:

1. Text Features: White Space, Font, Colors, Shapes, etc

2. Idea Organization: Cause-Effect, Chronological Order, Attributes & Characteristics, etc.

3. Imagery: Symbolic images, shapes, etc., that clarify and support the infographic's purpose

4. Research/Sources Cited: Citation of credible primary and secondary sources

How can I use infographics in the classroom?
First, check out our 46 tools to create infographics. What you decide to do with those tools depends on if you want to make them, read them, or repackage them as other media forms. In a literature or language class for example, you might:

1. introduce the protagonist of a story

2. talk about a character's decision in literature

3. highlight an important event or the climax in a story

4. compare a book with a movie

5. discuss the historical setting of a book

6. preteach a new subject

7. present a new idea or topic

Infographics can be intriguing for e-learners because they are able to combine pictures with information in a creative format using bright colors. They might be used as supplements to lesson plans or as starting points to get class discussions started.
How can I make an infographic?
In addition to our list of tools above, you could use Mashable's Pinterest board[ii] as a source of inspiration for your infographic. Piktochart and Easel.ly[iii] are great sites where you can make infographics. You just have to sign up, select a theme or a visual theme, and start creating in true drag-and-drop fashion. Other sites you might find helpful are Infogr.am, Venngage, or Visual.ly.

Creating infographics for use in the classroom may be an interesting way to grab your students' attention, but like anything new, it won't last unless you hand over the controls to them. Because there seems to be no limit to what you can imagine or create when it comes to infographics, students should be able to create, personalize, and publish infographics to suit a variety of authentic purposes.
[i] http://evasimkesyan.com/2013/06/28/using-infographics-in-language-classroom/ [ii] http://pinterest.com/mashable/infographics/ Pamela Rossow is a freelance writer who works with higher education clients such as eLearners. She is a native South Floridian who enjoys photography, literature, and hockey. You can follow her on Google+.

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A Primer On Infographics In The Classroom

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by Pamela Rossow If you are a K-12 teacher or a college professor, you may be searching for new ways to promote digital literacy in your classroom. Or just plain literacy literacy, for that matter.

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Google Drawings, part of the Google Apps suite, can also be used to create an infographic. It does layer-based image editing very well, as you can see by this infographic I created. And students can use the Google Research tool to locate CC-licensed images to use in the infographic. ( Key commands for Google Drawings)

Kathy Poe at The Fletcher School had her students create an infographic as part of a larger research project. She graciously shared the work!

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Infographics are a visual representation of data. When students create infographics, they are using information, visual, and technology literacies. This page includes links to help you develop...

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I forget sometimes how lucky I am that I grew up in the Washington DC metro area and have within 25 min of my front doorstep (ok, maybe not 25 with DC traffic, right!?) but close by is one of the largest collections of rich resources in the world - the United States Library of Congress. But don't fret, you don't need to travel to DC to enjoy the FREE and open globally to everyone in the world the resources, lesson plans, and primary source documents through their amazingly extensive online website for teachers. In these tough economic times when districts are discontinuing paying for online research databases this is a goldmine of FREE resources. (Have I said FREE enough? LOL) Oh and you can tell from the title of this post that I love me some alliterative action! But why not?

"Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man"

Use the Creative Commons infographic below to "sell' all the great stuff that's available AND FREE from the Library of Congress to your teachers of all subjects doing research. Especially our Social Studies partners! (See exciting Social Studies Chat announcement below!) I've added the infographic below AND links to the teachers resources as a link from our Research Resources Wikipage!

(Click HERE for the FULL Size of this infographic)

( Full size of the graphic above)

(Photo from
INFOGRAPHIC LUST:
Easily the latest, greatest thing to visual learning is the Infographic. But, Infographics themselves are not so easy to create. Enter the free and still in beta site Easel.ly which pretty much lives up to its name! With a few slick template choices, text, objects, and shapes to add anyone can create a slick looking free Infographic that adds interest, meaning, and comprehension to text-heavy content. WARNING: But please don't become an Info-doofus - just because it's in an Infographic does NOT mean it's true...or relevant. Of course if you don't want to use this FREE site you can always pay upwards of $299 for a customized Infographic from 99Designs! (But why would you?)
Patent Nonsense)

Back story: I regularly get emails with unsolicited suggestions for blog topics - it's sometimes truly flattering & informative and sometimes (usually) annoying. My blog fodder ain't for sale peeps! I blog about what I wanna blog about and I'm oppositional to boot so unless you're part of my Personal Learning Network (that's you dear reader not those company marketers or people sellin stuff) making suggestions --I'm not gonna bite. Harumph!

But sometimes I get stuff that even though it's promoting or created by a commercial venture it's really so cool I gotta share it. This is one of those times! So, thanks BestCollegesOnline! But other marketers? Don't hold your breath - I can't be bought - I can be rented by inviting me to speak at your conference or consult with you...but not umm bought. (Rent? Eep! OK, somehow that sounded better in my head!)

Social Studies Chat & The TL Virtual Cafe
Social Studies teachers + Teacher Librarians = A winning combination!
Join us at the TL Virtual Cafe for a FREE webinar on February 4th for a #SSChat & #TLChat collaboration with Ron Peck!

Below are pictures I took back in 2005 when our district Library Media Specialists went on a "field trip" to the Library of Congress! It was AWESOME!

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Infographics and The Library of Congress: A Colossal Collection of Resource Riches

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I forget sometimes how lucky I am that I grew up in the Washington DC metro area and have within 25 min of my front doorstep (ok, maybe not 25 with DC traffic, right!?) but close by is one of the largest collections of rich resources in the world - the United States Library of Congress.

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school of library and information science

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"University libraries have used a variety of promotional materials to market virtual reference services, including flyers (California State University at Fresno), posters (Texas A&M), bookmarks (Col Poly Pomona), table Tents (Syracuse), sticky notes (University of Arizona), postcards (Kansas State Collaborative), brochures (Illinois State Collaborative), and giveaways (ASERL).

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Welcome to my newly re-designed blog!!

Library Media Tech Musings is out...
and The D aring Librarian Blog is in!

Huh? Why? How? Meh? Eep!

Ok...So...a few months ago i was inspired by several my awesome geek squadders, Twitter PLN, and the School Library Web Presence webinar and decided that though i felt i was a few years late going transparent (a constant inspiration, Buffy J. Hamilton - the Unquiet Librarian branded herself in '07, Selena Ward - The Tech Tiger, Aaron Smith - The Art Guy, etc.), i knew that in this precarious moment in school librarianship and my growing involvement with ISTE, i really should bite the bullet & brand myself. not for my ego (which is, of course, massive! ;-) but to consolidate my message. Dan Schwabel said it best:

"...You are your Google results and people are wanting to find you online. If you aren't visible you don't exist, nor will get the opportunities you are working hard for. Another important factor is that you need to invest in your self (your personal brand equity), which means that you need to be a content producer, not just consumer"

i agonized, wrote, tweeted, and basically hit a creative wall!

so i sent out an email to my PLN brain trust....longtime buds, Steampunk friends from SL and other cool educators...and i wanna share that thought process and journey with you ...and also thank them for all their creativity...and of course..a last min surprise epiphany ...from...my Source of all Things Smart!

hello darlings! you're some of the smartest people i know and i'm creatively stuck and i need your help!
Quick backstory: the library biz is under fire....many schools and districts are getting rid of their librarians and their libraries (i've blogged about it, it's really scary!) i need to brand myself. it's a new movement to promote your library and yourself as a professional. like a marketing plan.

Challenge:there are librarians (and some friends of mine) out there called theUnquiet Librarian, theLipstick Librarian, theAnimated Librarian(doh! i really wanted that since i'm now known for my animated shorts - oh well!) ......and my favoriteLibrarian X- With great power comes great bibliography. i've been wracking my brain to get ideas that aren't already taken!....i like thecomic book angle a LOT!! wish i could come up with something like that i've also thought ofThe Perpetual Librarian, (and Perpetual Library)with the idea that we're ongoing, evolving, and everlasting but it's just not SEXY!!!(well, it can't be too sexy if you know what i mean) Cool, fun, energetic...that's what i'm lookin and i don't want anything to do with being a redhead...that's been done, too.....

I got some great suggestions!

One of my friends put it out to her LJ peeps but a lot of the suggestions, though clever, were a little bit umm racy...like the "The Bookie". Heh! and wouldn't you know it...it was already taken

Then another genius friend of mine...a Miss Alice suggested:
"If you're looking for a comic book angle, it's worth remembering that the original Batgirl was a librarian. The Sandman also has a good librarian, Lucien.

There are also some great fictional libraries: The Graveyard of Unwritten Books, The Library (Doctor Who), The Library of Babel, The Library of Dreaming....Possible words for a Library/Librarian after 5 minutes of thinking: Invisible, Future, Steampowered, Lost, Universal, Infinite, Impossible, Eternal, Salvaged Resurrected, Illuminated, Nightmare, Fighting...anything post-apocalyptic/zombie related is always good for getting hipsters and what not and it sounds badass. I quite like the idea of an Infinite Library/Librarian, but I plan on continuing to think of things that might work."

Oooh! Now i'm getting somewhere! Then....hot on the heels of that a Mr. Tinus came up with then...Bing! Bing! Bing! Miss Trafalgar had this to add: I tell you that woman is brilliant! So I Twittered out those suggestions and my upset over the Animated Librarian...and got this back from the Awesome Buffy: "

I think that remote instruction and your understanding of the web is important.

Librarian 2.0 may work...or Meta-Librarian...a call out to the Metaverse.

another key point is that with all this new information in the world people need guides....data brokers..I think that is a great selling point for librarians...modern day pathfinders, explorers.

"I think I'd go with something that brands beyond you - so that if you want, you can turn it into a consultancy ... but then again, I think like that. I'd also be writing a book to go with it. or co-writing one with a brilliant early-adopter friend who is currently ranging far and wide...

ahem....here you go:

nex t libris- the new vision for meta-libraries, helping students become technology-adaptive, and literate across all media and cultural forms.

Terminology:

meta-library / meta-librarian: the library outside the walls, and the toolset that knows how to access it, and participate in it.

* (I would have suggested meta-libris, but metalibris.comis already taken, whereas nextlibris.comseems to be available, AND - bonus- is less geeky, ((aside- i LOVES the geeky!)) though I didn't do a domain name search because I didn't want to lock it accidentally [yes, network solution associates seem to be doing this - using DNS searches to select names to squat and resell])

literate: the state of understanding how and why literature is produced on a topic, being able to evaluate that literature from multiple points of view, and being able to produce literature as well as consume it.

technology-adaptive: (please note: not adoptive) the state of being able to adapt to changes in technology and maintain/grow one's awareness about the world without becoming overwhelmed by gadgets and gadgeteers."

buffyjhamilton "That is wrong someone claimed your handle! I like your both Next Libraris and NExus Lib., though!

And i was almost sold on the Nexus Librarian, or NextLibris when i got a call from guess who? My MOM! The Source of ALL Smart.

and her suggestion? The Daring Librarian ...breathlessly i ran to the MacBook lappie and amazingly...it was NOT Taken....$10 later and going through Google Apps i registered it....changed the name of my blog...spent HOURS Photoshopping & coming up with a new header and Voila! Thanks everyone!....and most of all...thanks Mommy!

Tips for Branding - and though some are for Internet marketing...think of reaching our audience as educators...to our students...parents and the community:

As always, i treasure your emails, thoughts, & comments! Do you like the Daring Librarian name? A little late now....i already spent the $10 bucks! LOL Today's International Reader Shout-Out

goes to our dear 10 Russian Federation readers!

Здравствуйте, мои дорогие русские читатели! Я изучал русский язык в течение 4 лет в средней школе! Я люблю твою историю, культуру и язык!
Много любви, Гвинет Анна Робертовна

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Welcome to my newly re-designed blog!! Library Media Tech Musings is out... and The D aring Librarian Blog is in! Huh? Why? How? Meh? Eep! Ok...So...a few months ago i was inspired by several my awesome geek squadders, Twitter PLN, and the School Library Web Presence webinar and decided that though i felt i was a few years late going transparent (a constant inspiration, Buffy J.

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Free Video: Libraries in the Internet Age

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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). Anyone (especially libraries!) can download use it for non-commercial purposes. Please attribute "Common Craft" when you do.

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Focus on pages 28-30

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Today's public libraries are consistently being challenged to do more with less-less money, less staff, and less time. It has never been more important for librarians, staff members, trustees, and others with a vested interest in their public libraries, to convey to their communities the value of the library. Advocacy, the process of acting on behalf of the public library to increase public funds and ensure that it has the resources needed to be up to date, is critical to the success of libraries.

Through tools, training, and education, PLA is committed to providing you with information and resources to help you become an even better advocate for your library.

Help Save Federal Funding for Libraries

PLA Advocacy Resources

The Edge Initiative
Since 2011, PLA has been a member of the Edge Initiative. Edge is now available to public libraries across the United Stated. Developed by a coalition of leading library and local government organizations with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and led by the Urban Libraries Council, Edge is a leadership and management tool which will help you align technology services to the needs of your community, and help you communicate the library's value to community leaders. To learn more about Edge visit libraryedge.org.

Turning the Page
Build advocacy skills and confidence through Turning the Page! A fully customizable advocacy training curriculum is now available through Turning the Page: Building Libraries, Strengthening Communities.

ALA Advocacy Resources

Other Advocacy Resources

How does your community's library engagement compare with the rest of the country?
Libraries in the Digital Age blog
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Compare the library engagement of your library or group with the rest of the country using Pew Internet & American Life Project's new "community quiz."

*You will be asked to login with your ALA website login and password to confirm your current PLA personal membership. If you've forgotten your login information, you'll be able to retrieve your username/password or create a login if you don't have one from the "Login" page.

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Today's public libraries are consistently being challenged to do more with less-less money, less staff, and less time. It has never been more important for librarians, staff members, trustees, and others with a vested interest in their public libraries, to convey to their communities the value of the library.

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Table of Contents

3.1 What Is Frontline Advocacy?
3.2 Why Is It Important?
3.3 Who Me?
3.4 Frontline Advocacy Every Day : Library Media Center Leadership, Staff, and Others Working Together
3.5 More Resources

3.1 What is frontline advocacy?

While the term "front line" initially was coined by the military to describe those troops at the forward-most point in the battlefield, literally the soldiers facing the opposing army, "front line" or "frontline" has more recently become an expression to describe those individuals who interact in the visible forefront of any situation.

You interact with frontline people every day. A few examples include the helpful sales clerk at your favorite retail store, the restaurant server who knows you like mustard on your turkey sandwich and the cashier you see so often at your grocery store. These people all interact on a personal level with you. The kind of service they give you directly impacts your opinion of their business and of the value you get for your money there. Your interactions with them shape your opinion about the business's quality and importance in your life.

"Advocacy" means supporting a cause or course of action, and in the school library world, all library staff and everyone who has direct contact with the school library media center - librarians, media specialists, paraprofessionals, clerks, secretaries, volunteers, students, parents, teachers, site council members and principals - can easily be advocates - "frontline advocates" - for their school's library.

Frontline advocates talk to others - colleagues, friends, neighbors, relatives and acquaintances - about their school library media center's value to its students, teachers, families and community. They share their passion because they understand that the school library plays a critical role in learning and school success. Success in life begins in school, and if you are a school library media center staff member, you play a vital role in this process. It's important that you share the value of your impact as well as the value of your library media center's impact on student success.

The purpose of this Where School is Cool! Frontline Advocacy for School Libraries Toolkit is to provide simple tools and strategies for anyone who works for or is passionate about their school library to make advocacy part of their everyday conversation and activities. For some great ideas about frontline advocacy activities for all kinds of libraries, including school libraries, check out 2009-2010 ALA president Dr. Camila Alire's 23 (Advocacy) Things (Tips) for Frontline Employees. [3.1.a]

3.2 Why is it Important?

Why Do Schools Need Libraries These Days?

Our Internet-driven world is quick to discard the traditional ways of doing things for ways that are faster and glossier. The explosion of information that is available online makes it easy to believe that everything a student needs to know is on the Internet and that what isn't there is in the public library...so school libraries are no longer relevant or necessary.

Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, much of what is on the Internet is difficult for students, particularly young students, to understand. A good deal of it is inappropriate for students. Some of it is downright inaccurate. The school library media center, on the other hand, provides resources that are appropriate for students' comprehension and maturity. These resources are selected to complement curriculum, teaching styles and the school's mission, and they are organized in a manner that makes them easily accessible for all users.

Today's school library media center supports students with resources in both print and electronic formats. It's truly an active and interactive learning environment. A variety of formats is essential because students learn differently and teachers teach differently from one another. Additionally, student-centered teaching methods often require the support of online resources and other technologies, and guidance by staff who can help students use these resources and technologies. A great school library media center is also about enrichment. School librarians excel at storytelling, reviewing books, giving book talks, launching reading challenges and organizing student book clubs, computer clubs and other activities that foster a love of reading and learning.

Research has shown that students with well-equipped library media centers, staffed by professional library media specialists, perform better on assessments of reading comprehension and basic research skills. For "quotable facts" about school library media centers, click on this link from the American Association of School Librarians' (AASL) online Advocacy Toolkit [3.2.a]

Why Are YOU Your School Library's Best Frontline Advocate?

Good question! The truth is, you are a valuable staff member, and you know your school library media center best. Whether this is your first year or your 30th year in your job, you are part of an important team that provides a critical service: helping students read, love reading, learn and love learning. Your school library media center contributes directly to their success in school, and that success equips your students to contribute something positive and important to the world as they go through life.

You are someone your friends, neighbors, family and others connect with the school library because they know you work there. You have credibility and the power of persuasion when you talk about your library media center because you are the face of your library and school to the community.

Why Are YOU Needed Now More Than Ever?

The difficult economic times we have been living through means that counties, cities and other municipalities have lost tax revenue, federal dollars and other critical sources of school funding over the last few years. School libraries and media centers have all felt effects of these reductions: professional staff cut, materials budgets slashed, paraprofessional help given pink slips - in other words, doing more with less while students' needs grow.

School funding is complex and cuts are unavoidable in an economic environment such as this one, but it is important that those cuts do not undervalue the media center or sell the library short. The school library media center needs passionate advocates now to ensure that decision makers understand the link between the library and student achievement. That is the reason that every school library employee is being called upon to share the message of their library's value with everyone they know.

3.3 Who, Me?

What Does an Effective Frontline Advocate for School Libraries Do?

Frontline advocacy is all about informing and persuading. It's about partnering with your school librarian and administrators to place your school library media center in the spotlight at every opportunity. It's about saying and doing the little things on a daily basis that give others positive feelings and an appreciation of your school's library, and doing the big things when times are hard. Don't wait for a crisis to advocate for your library. Practice it every day, and, when there is a special issue or concern, you'll be very good at it.

Once you try it, you will realize that advocating for your library is actually pretty easy. Click for Ten Action Steps for Frontline School Library Advocacy. [3.3.a]

Resist the urge to say, "Yeah, but..." Instead, check out Six Good Excuses That Won't Work [3.3.b]

3.4 Frontline Advocacy Every Day : Library Media Center Leadership, Staff and Others Working Together

You know that your library media center is the coolest place in school. Tell others! Think about two kinds of frontline advocacy for your school library media center, "informal" and "planned."

"Informal" frontline advocacy is simply using everyday opportunities to tell or remind people about your library media center's resources and value to students, families and staff. How do you do it? You can share success stories with school staff, parents, your family, friends, neighbors and the former student (now grown up) you bump into at the drug store. It's not hard; in fact, you probably do this already, without consciously thinking of it as frontline advocacy. You have many opportunities to share this information every day. Seize those opportunities! Once you start practicing it, you'll find that talking positively and persuasively about your school library media center and the value of your job there comes easily and spontaneously.

"Planned" frontline advocacy is more deliberate, and it requires the knowledge (and possibly the approval) of school library leadership. It starts with defined goals and a carefully crafted message, and it is more strategic than informal advocacy; but like informal advocacy, it's not difficult. It requires someone who is willing to be a LEADER - such as the school librarian, media specialist, or other library staff member - and a simple, organized PLAN.

Below are some basic steps for planned frontline advocacy. A library leader who follows them will find the information and tools he or she needs to deliver a well-crafted, effective frontline advocacy message.

Ten Basic Steps to Successful Frontline Advocacy for School Library Leadership

1. Be sure your library administration supports frontline advocacy, then recruit others who have a strong interest in your library media center to join you in your efforts. Who? The other members of your library staff, of course, but also student volunteers, parents, teachers and other school staff who love what the library media center contributes to your school and its students. This is your "A Team." ("A" stands for advocacy!)

2. Gather your A Team together and think hard about your library media center. What are its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats? Click on Your Library Media Center's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats [3.4.a] (PDF) or download the SWOT worksheet (Word doc) for a handy worksheet to guide you.

3. Determine your goal. For example, would you like to make the library media center more visually inviting, or offer after-school reading help in the library?

4. Understand why that goal is important to student success. These are your objectives. Identify and list your goals and objectives using a tool in this toolkit, Frontline Advocacy for School Libraries: Goals and Objectives Worksheet or the Goals-Objectives-Strategies worksheet (Word doc) [3.4.b]

5. Craft a strong, clear message that communicates your goal. Make it short and memorable. Be sure that listeners understand that your library media center is the coolest place in school! This toolkit contains guidelines for helping you craft the best message possible. Click Crafting Your Message [3.4.c] or download the Crafting Your Message worksheet (Word doc).

6. Ask your A Team to list all the people they know who need to hear your important and timely message. Need help with this? Go to Target Audience Identification for All Frontline Advocacy Staff [3.4.d] or the Target Audience Planning worksheet (Word doc).

7. Think of all the ways you can communicate your message to a variety of people. These are your strategies. Brainstorm beyond the A Team and get lots of people's creative suggestions. Schedule an after-school session to create fun decor. Put on a skit or puppet show at the next school program. Make special bookmarks or buttons. Write an article for the school or community newsletter. Have fun with this! Remember, there are no bad ideas (well, almost none). Look at the tool Fun and Effective Strategies for Frontline Advocates [3.4.e] for some great ideas, and remember to decide who will be responsible for particular tasks.

8. Congratulations! You've just developed your A Team's frontline advocacy plan. Now it's time to write it down. You can summarize it on two pages by using the handy tool included: Your A Team's Frontline Advocacy Plan [3.4.f] or use the Frontline Advocacy Plan worksheet (Word doc).

9. Find jobs for everyone on your school library media center staff and anyone else who wants to help. Ask them to use their networks of friends, family and others to help spread the message that your library media center is the heart of learning at your school. Let them work at their comfort level, and encourage them to have fun doing it.

10. Get the A Team together regularly to evaluate how you're doing and to celebrate a job well done. Can you use one more tool? Click on Evaluating Your Efforts [3.4.g] or use the Evaluating Your Efforts worksheet (Word doc) and make it easy to assess your performance.

Hint: Look for natural times to promote your library media center's resources and its value to students and your school. Go online and find out the dates for "School Library Media Month," "The Annual Day of Reading," "I Love to Read Month," and other special days, weeks or months, and take advantage of the public awareness those events generate.

3.5 More Resources

What if you're a passionate frontline school library media center staff member who wants to do more? Don't do it on your own! You must first work with your librarian or media specialist and your school administration. They are the ones who can get you more involved at the appropriate levels.

There's a lot of advice out there about how to succeed at advocacy. Many advocacy tools are easily available over the Internet because a wide variety of organizations depend on advocacy for their livelihood. The American Library Association (ALA) and others have excellent online resources if you want to read more about school library and other kinds of educational advocacy:
Every Voice Makes a Difference! Flashcard for School Libraries (PDF) American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Advocacy Toolkit
Library Advocate's Handbook (PDF)

National Council for the Social Studies Toolkit

Howard, Jody K., "Advocacy Through Relationships," School Library Monthly (26:2), October 2009, pp. 44-45.

Hand, Dorcas, "What Can Teacher-Librarians Do to Promote Their Work and the School Library Media Program? Constant Advocacy," Teacher Librarian (36:2), December 2008, pp. 26-27.

Johns, Sara Kelly, "What Can Teacher-Librarians Do to Promote Their Work and the School Library Media Program? Offensive Formula: P+M=A," Teacher Librarian (36:2), December 2008, pp. 30-31.

Logan, Debra, "What Can Teacher-Librarians Do to Promote Their Work and the School Library Media Program? Think and Then Do...For the Kids!" Teacher Librarian (36:2), December 2008, pp. 20-21.
ALA President Camila Alire wishes to thank the Neal-Schuman Foundation for its generous support of the Frontline Advocacy Initiative.
The Neal-Schuman Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation formed to aid, assist, and promote research and educational activities for the improvement of library and information services. For more information, contact www.neal-schuman.com .

[back to Frontline Advocacy Toolkit homepage]

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3.0 Where School Is Cool! Frontline Advocacy for School Libraries Toolkit

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The purpose of this Where School is Cool! Frontline Advocacy for School Libraries Toolkit is to provide simple tools and strategies for anyone who works for or is passionate about their school library to make advocacy part of their everyday conversation and activities.

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1. Think about your goal and objectives. What are the most important words and ideas that emerged?

2. Make your message really easy to remember. Does the library media center have an ongoing message? Is there a new message? Can you reduce it to 10-15 words in your brain? "Homework help boosts learning, grades and academic success." "Volunteering in the school library builds competence and confidence." Most messages can be boiled down in just this way.

Don't think only about what the message means to your library ("Increasing student volunteers means that library staff spends less time shelving books."). Think about what the message means for your students and staff ("Increasing student volunteers provides a unique opportunity for learning and service and frees library staff to assist users.")
3. Come up with some "talking points." This is where you can use the data your library and school collects. Using the previous example (concerns about cutting library hours) your talking points should include:

Some statistics about your library media center's use (who, how, when).

The impact on users (students, parents, teachers and other school staff) when you face a shortage of student volunteers. Be specific, use your data. Click on a useful tool, Put Your Data to Work for Your A Team [3.4.c.1] for some ideas about using statistics to help convey your library's message.

Consider a personal story here.

If your message is about a need, explain what the library would like to see happen and what the listener can do to help.

4. Have a "parking lot" or "grocery store" speech ready. This is a very short statement that can literally be communicated during the brief time you're walking to the parking lot in the company of a student, school staff member or parent, or when you bump into a parent in the grocery store . When appropriate, invite the listener to get involved.

Here are two examples:

"We've had more second graders students move from picture books to ready-to-read books this year than ever before, and their test scores went up 20%."

"Have you heard that we're trying to create an after-school homework help center in the school library with volunteer tutors and extra computers. If you think this is something our students can really use, please help us communicate that to the rest of the school."

Click on Your Parking Lot Speech [3.4.c.2] if you would like help with this.

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1. Think about your goal and objectives. What are the most important words and ideas that emerged? 2. Make your message really easy to remember. Does the library media center have an ongoing message? Is there a new message? Can you reduce it to 10-15 words in your brain?