Educate, communicate, evaluate: Library Advocacy 101

1. Educate, communicate, evaluate: Library Advocacy 101 Presented by Shonda Brisco, Asst. 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 Work? • Your Teaching? • Your Impact to Student Achievement? • Just WHAT are you doing?

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

5. School Library Advocacy • Program • People • Potential

6. PROGRAM

7. 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!

10. Curriculum • Become part of the Curriculum Development Team; • Know what is being taught– have copies of the textbooks for YOUR use; • Provide information, resources, and content to those instructors who need these resources; • Know how the school’s library correlates to the Instructional Curriculum—utilize National and State Standards.

11. Research

12. PEOPLE

13. Students • Let the students provide their “personal stories” about the library program; • Create a Student Library Advisory Committee to help “build their library programs;” • Teach students how to use 2.0 Tools and ways to use hand-held devices for research; • Allow students to select materials (with your guidance) and then ask them to promote them through podcasts, book trailers, etc.

14. Teachers • Collaborate with teachers on lessons; • Help teachers to re-work outdated lessons that only encourage “cut and paste” assignments; • Ask for a “piece of the pie”—ask to grade a portion of the assignment (bibliography, etc.); • Be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 • 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 • Alternative Education Programs • Churches • Career-Tech • Community Education / Adult Education

18. Parents • Connect through Newsletters • 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 • 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; • Know the TEST SCORES and how the library program increases these; • Know your demographics—search for opportunities to meet needs; • Know the economic factors—be willing to write grants or find alternative $$$

21. Talking Points

23. Advocate • Know how the Library Program has made an impact: • In reading scores • In research projects • In test scores • In meeting specific needs • In supporting the curriculum

24. Be A “Show-Off” • Invite Legislators, Community Members, and other stakeholders to your school library and share your success; • 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.

25. 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 advocate for you! • Teach technology in NEW ways---using the cell phone as a method of research, digital cameras as visual literacy, PowerPoint as an “electronic book.”

26. Become Political • Know WHO supports Libraries; • THANK them for their support; • Keep them on your email / phone list; • Contact your Legislators and ask them to support school libraries and school librarians….

27. Stay Professional • Be polite--- but know the facts; • Agree to disagree; • Ask for evidence; • Offer alternatives –rather than the library; • Ask questions---”How will our students be able to compete without the IL skills needed for jobs or college?”

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

29. It’s Not About YOU In order to advocate effectively, it’s important to keep your message to be about… students and student learning. It’s NOT about librarian jobs!