Getting the message across – advocacy for school library staff

1. Getting the message across – advocacy for school library staff presented by Sue Spence at the ASLA XX Conference, 2-5 October 2007, Adelaide, South Australia.

2. Rip Van Winkle awakens in the 21st century after a hundred-year snooze and is, of course, utterly bewildered by what he sees. Men and women dash about, talking to small metal devices pinned to their ears. Young people sit at home on sofas, moving miniature athletes around on electronic screens. Older folk defy death and disability with metronomes in their chests and with hips made of metal and plastic. Airports, hospitals, shopping malls--every place Rip goes just baffles him. But when he finally walks into a schoolroom, the old man knows exactly where he is. "This is a school," he declares. "We used to have these back in 1906. Only now the blackboards are white."

3. Then….and now

4. Paradigm shifts in Pedagogy Teacher-centred  Student-centred Transmitter  Facilitator RBT  RBL Content  Competencies/Skills Product  Process Keys to success

5. Is this how we are viewed?

6. The research proves that….. • School libraries are critical for student achievement • School libraries have an important role in teaching • School libraries are leading the way for technology use in schools • School libraries inspire literacy • School libraries don't matter without highly qualified school librarians NCLIS, US Commission on Library & Information Science, 2005

7. Advocacy tools-what’s already out there? • ASLA Advocacy Kit 2006: A teacher librarian advocate's guide to building information literate school communities • ALIA: A library advocate's guide to building information literate communities –http://www.alia.org.au/advocacy/literacy.kit.pdf • Canadian Association of Public Librarieshttp://cla.ca/divisions/capl/advocacy/workbook.htm • American Association of school librarieshttp://www.ala.org/ala/pio/campaign/schoollibrary/FINAL_toolkit.pdf • American Library Associationhttp://www.ala.org/ala/issues/toolsandpub/toolsandpub.htm “Stand up & Speak out for libraries now”

8. A teacher librarian advocate’s guide to building information literate school communities ASLA Advocacy Kit 2006

14. Who Advocates? IFLA IASL ASLA ASLA-TAS WASLA SLASA ASLA-ACT SLAQ ASLA-NSW ASLA-NT Trade Unions You

15. A Bleak Future • Not enough resources • Reduced budgets • My role is not understood • My role is not valued nor appreciated • No one cares about information literacy • Not able to do the job I want to do • Perceived low status http://www.oelma.org/StudentLearning/Documents/OHIO2005ADDRESS.ppt .

17. Your Actions? • What actions have you taken in the leading of learning in your school? • What evidences have you accumulated about the learning role of your school library? • In the last year, how has your school library contributed to meeting Ohio standards? ?

18. What actions have you taken in the leading of learning in your school? • Join committees • Approach individuals • Work with leaders & faculties • Submit (project) proposals • Implement projects & other school priorities • Offer PD • Keep others connected & up-to-date

19. What evidences have you accumulated about the learning role of your school library? • Usage data • Anecdotal • Photos • Articles in library/school newsletter • PD Feedback sheets • Meeting minutes • Library surveys/review/reports • Other data e.g. PRC

20. In the last year, how has your school library contributed to meeting standards? Which standards? • SLASA role statement • LFTF • ASLA Quality Standards • State/National Standards Need evidence/documentation • e.g. Library Team Statement; Library policies (Choosing & Using)