Ohio Educational Library Media Association

1. State Lib. of Ohio ODE INFOhio OELMA Ohio Educational Library Media Association OELMA oelma.org

2. OELMA History • OELMA was created in 1976 • Ohio Association of School Librarians and the Educational Media Council of Ohio joined

3. Members • Teachers, preK-12 • Library media specialists • Educational aides • College students • University professors • Technology specialists • Vendors • Authors • Literary specialists

4. Dues • Active $75 • Student $35 • Retired $35 • All dues paying members are voting members. And all members are eligible to serve in any capacity of service.

5. Government They are governed by • President • Past President • Vice President • Secretary • Treasurer • Board representing different geographic areas of Ohio

6. Mission Statement Advocate for school librarians as they educate for success.

7. Value Statement • Commit to educational excellence and academic achievement. • Serve the needs of 21st Century learners and workers in global society. • Respect and promote diverse people and ideas.

8. Services • OELMA News- a newsletter about OELMA activities as well as industry news, 3 times/year • Ohio Media Spectrum- annual professional journal published for teacher librarians • Access to members-only OELMA website • Discounts for OELMA workshops and conferences • Participation in OELMA’s E-list, Blog, and Wiki

9. Services, continued • Award and scholarship opportunities • Lobbyist working on behalf of OELMA • Voting rights • Committee participation opportunities

10. Student Learning Through Ohio School Libraries: The Ohio Research Study • OELMA received Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant from Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through the State Library of Ohio to undertake research project • Conducted by Dr. Todd Ross and Dr. Carol Kuhlthau • 2002 • 13,123 students participated

11. Important Findings • Shatters the view that school libraries are not important or don’t help kids learn. • Kids believe that school librarians help them do better. • Kids are able to describe how the school library helped them. • Evidence that school libraries are actively engaged as learning instructional centers. • Active school librarians are important.

12. Advocacy HB 1 Starting this year, under under Governor Ted Strickland, over the next 10 years, Ohio will phase in funding for licensed librarians in Ohio’s schools.

13. Ohio Department of Education Library Guidelines • There are 7 standards. • 1-4 are program standards and pertain to the school library program as a whole • 5-7 are instructional standards and are divided by grade level. • The standards each contain several benchmarks.

14. Guideline #1 Library Management Effective school library media programs support the mission and continuous improvement plan of the school district. OELMA Support • Workshops • Scholarships • Conferences • Members-only website • Professional publications • Advocacy materials

15. Guideline #2 Collection Development and Curriculum Effective school library media programs support and enhance the curriculum and are an integral part of teaching and learning. OELMA Support • Workshops • Scholarships • Conferences • Members-only website • Professional publications

16. Guideline #3 Literacy and Reading Support Effective school library media programs promote and encourage reading for academic achievement, lifelong learning, and leisure pursuits. OELMA Support • Professional publications • Members-only website access

17. Guideline #4 Literacy-based Technology Effective school library media programs provide, integrate, and utilize a technology rich environment to support learning and teaching. OELMA Supports • Professional publications • Workshops • Conferences

18. Partners • INFOhio- the state K-12 information network infohio.org • Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLA) imls.gov • State Library of Ohio library.ohio.gov • Institute for Library and Information Literacy Education ilile.org • Ohio Department of Education ode.state.oh.us/

19. Partners- continued • American Association of School Librarians ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/index.cfm • Academic Library Association of Ohio alao.wildapricot.org/ • Association for Educational Communications and Technology aect.org/ • Buckeye Children’s Book bcbookaward.info/index.htm • eTech etech.ohio.gov/ • Kent State University School of Library and Information Science slis.kent.edu/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/ • Ohio Arts Council oac.state.oh.us/

20. Partners- continued • Ohio Council of Library and Information Services ohionet.org/oclis • Ohio Education Association ohea.org/GD/Templates/Pages/OEA/OEADefault.aspx?page=1 • Ohio Education Computer Network mcoecn.org/ • Ohio Library Council olc.org • Ohio Library Support Staff Institute olssi.org/ • Ohioana ohioana.org/

21. Option #3 Locate and identify websites for library service organizations in your state. I found the advocacy that OELMA performs to be the most surprising. I knew that an organization for Ohio’s school media specialists existed. However, I did not know the extent to which they advocated. It is through their efforts that Governor Strickland made provisions for the future strength of all of Ohio’s school libraries. They monitored the legislation and never gave up on the provision of funding for schools to have licensed media specialists. I was also surprised by the fact that they secured funding for a research study performed by prestigious leading researchers in the field to provide evidence that school libraries are indispensible. I am excited about joining a profession that has such devoted members. I look forward to joining the organization now that I know all of the benefits to being a member.