Educate, Communicate, Evaluate: Library Advocacy 101

1. Educate, Communicate, Evaluate: Library Advocacy 101 Presented by Shonda Brisco, Assistant Professor Oklahoma State University Encyclo-Media 2010

2. Resource Information • This presentation, a bibliography of resources used, and online access to websites, articles, and books is available at: www.library.okstate.edu/cml/advocate.html

3. What Are You Doing? Budgets are tight…so how can you justify: • Your Position? • Your Teaching? • The Library’s Impact to Student Achievement? After all, couldn’t ANYONE do what you’re doing? • Just WHAT are you doing?

4. To locate this map, search : “A Nation Without School Librarians”

5. So, How Do You Measure Your Program’s Impact? • Quantitative? • Circulation? • Collection numbers? • Classes taught? What about…. • Qualitative? • Student achievement? • Test scores? • Collaborative teaching? Is that ENOUGH?

6. Three Areas of Focus • The Program • The People • The Potential

7. PROGRAM

8. Information Literacy • Information Literacy Skills ---start early! • Test students’ IL knowledge: • TRAILS 9 • TRAILS 6 • Pre-Test before instruction—know the “gaps” • Post-Test after instruction—check results; • Ask for self-evaluation by students; • Share results with stakeholders!

11. Curriculum • Become part of the Curriculum Development Team; • Know what is being taught– have copies of the textbooks for YOUR use; • Provide supplemental information, resources, and content to instructors BEFORE it’s needed; • Know how the Library Curriculum correlates to the Instructional Curriculum—utilize National and State Standards.

12. PEOPLE

13. Students • Let the students provide their “personal stories” about the library program– SAVE those! • Create a Student Library Advisory Committee to help “build their library programs;” • Engage students through technology to create their components within the library programs; • Allow students to select materials (with your guidance) and then ask them to promote them through podcasts, book trailers, etc.

14. Teachers • Collaborate on lesson plans with teachers; • Remember to “Work with the Living!” • Ask to be a member of the TEAMS; • Help teachers to re-work outdated lessons that only encourage “cut and paste” projects; • Ask for a “piece of the pie”—ask to grade a portion of the assignment (bibliography, etc.); • Be aware of what is being taught and when; • Map the collection to the curriculum.

15. Administrators • Schedule EARLY with administrators for at LEAST a monthly meeting to discuss issues; • Reduce the jargon; • Become indispensible—know the curriculum and how library skills can be embedded; • Show your students’ growth in research (TRAILS); • Report your work with students and teachers; • Show how you’ve SAVED $$$ for the District through Digital Prairie databases, book fairs, etc. • Support your Administrators – praise them for their support at School Board Meetings, with Parents, etc.

16. Administrators • Keep statistics --- but SHOW activities: • Library SNAPSHOT Day • Author visits • Book Fairs • Open House Activities • “Dinner and Databases”--- dinner fund-raiser coupled with an overview of the online databases; • “Donuts with Dad”– (ES)—host Dad’s visit to the library • “Muffins with Mom”- (ES)—host Mom’s visit to the library

17. Community Members • Share information about your school library with: • School Board Members; • Public Library (Summer Reading Program); • Alternative Education Programs; • Churches; • Career-Tech; • Community Education / Adult Education; • Other school librarians.

18. Parents • Connect through Newsletters, Websites, Blogs; • Provide workshops for Parents about: • The Library’s databases; • Reading projects and programs (Summer Reading); • College representatives and resources; • School-to-Work opportunities. • Ask to speak at PTO / PTA Meetings; • Share library’s resources for reading (ES); • Show how you assist with research skills (MS); • Show how you teach for college research (HS); • Offer F2F time with Parents to discuss projects; • Use parent-volunteers for the library.

19. POTENTIAL

20. What’s the Potential? • Know your MISSION Statement– if you don’t have one, write one! • Have TALKING POINTS ready to share; • Elevator Speech; • Parking-Lot Speech; • Know the TEST SCORES and ways the Library Program can increase them; • Know the demographics—search for opportunities to meet needs– rural or isolated communities; • Know the economic factors—be willing to write grants or find alternative $$$---partner with universities.

22. Talking Points Taken from School Library Media Monthly, April 2010

23. Advocate • Know how the Library Program has made an impact : • To your students’ reading scores; • To your students’ research projects; • To over-all test scores; • In meeting specific needs; • In supporting the curriculum; • KEEP “Thank You” notes and emails.

24. Be A “Show-Off” • Invite Legislators, Community Members, and other stakeholders to your school library --- then share your library -- (the GOOD & the BAD); • Showcase what is happening in your school’s library through newsletters, announcements, newspapers, and websites; • Demand some Real Estate--- Add the Library webpage link to the school’s HOME page. (I’ve searched and I can’t FIND YOU!)

25. Re-THINK the Annual Report

34. Be a Visionary • Think “Beyond the Box”– then share! • Don’t be afraid to try new things and ideas---and then SHARE the successes! • Become “embedded” within the instructional curriculum---then teachers become your advocate ! • Teach technology in NEW ways---using the cell phone as a method of research, digital cameras as visual literacy, PowerPoint as an “electronic book.”

35. Become Political • Know WHO supports School Libraries; • VOTE for them! • Remind them to STAND STRONG! • THANK them for their support; • Keep them on your email / phone list; • Contact any NEW Legislators --- and ask them to support the state’s school libraries and school librarians;

36. Stay Professional • Be polite--- but know the facts; • Agree to disagree; • Ask for evidence that supports any changes to school library funding, reduction in certified personnel – Show ME THE FACTS; • Learn how KEY Federal Funding requires a Certified School Librarian” for implementation; Ask key questions--- “How will our students be able to compete in today’s job market, without the IL skills needed for jobs or college?”

37. http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/

40. Stay Connected • Don’t remain isolated –don’t give up! • Connect to a listserv to discuss the issues: • ( OSU offers the LM-OSU listserv for school librarians---everyone is allowed to discuss issues, share ideas, and offer solutions); • Join OKSL, OLA, AASL, or your local library organization; • Connect with like-minded school librarians for ideas.

41. Remember…It’s Not About YOU In order to advocate effectively, it’s important to keep your message focused on… Student achievement and Student learning. It’s NOT about librarian jobs!

42. Educate, Communicate, and AdvocateTheir Future is Worth It!

44. Thank you! • For a copy of this presentation, the bibliography of resources, and additional content related to advocacy, go to: http://www.library.okstate.edu/cml/advocate.html