School Library Advocacy, the short version

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School Library Advocacy,the short version

http//www.accessola.com/olba/bins/content_page.as
p?cid66-827-2721
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Libraries LibrariansNeed Help

• Budgets are down
• Staffing is down
• Perceived value is down
• Workload is up
• Could You Be Barbara Gordon?

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AdvocacyIsPartofYOURJob

• Santa doesnt come if you dont
• write him a letter, Virginia.

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Know YOURSELF

• What makes your library important?
• What makes libraries important?

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Know your NUMBERS

• Collection Analysis
• Your Library Catalog
• Vendors Analysis, like Follett Titlewise
• Use of your library
• Classes, Questions, Volunteers
• School
• School Report Card
• School Budget Numbers

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Know your NUMBERS

• Neighborhood
• Census
• Representatives
• Legislative Districts

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Know your STAKEHOLDERS

• Who
• will
• advocate
• for
• you?

• Administrators
• Teachers
• Students
• Volunteers
• PTO/PTA
• School Board
• Library System
• Union
• Legislators
• ALA

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Know your STAKEHOLDERS

• Administrators
• Teachers
• Students
• Volunteers
• PTO/PTA
• School Board
• Library System
• Union
• Legislators
• ALA

• Do
• they
• know
• your
• story?

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Sing it, Barbara!

• Tell them what the library already does for them.
• Tell them what else the library can do for them.

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Have an ELEVATOR SPEECH

• Good afternoon. My name is Kate Wolicki, and Im
  a school librarian at Americana School in
  Glendale Heights, in your district, and let me
  tell you, weve got some problems right now in
  the school libraries. Because the state is so
  far behind on payments, my district has cut all
  non-tenured staff, including 2 of our 4
  librarians. We serve 2000 students on a total
  materials budget of less than X per student. As
  you can imagine, that doesnt buy many books or
  technological resources, and our kids are
  struggling. Losing librarians sure won't help
  their test scores. I'm hoping you will...

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BRAG!

• Doing something cool? Something new? Something
  average?
• Email the teachers administrators
• Tell the school board
• Talk it up to students
• Write a letter to your legislators
• Include it in the school newsletter

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Get INVOLVED

• School committees
• Union activities
• Library system committees
• Local organizations
• Library associations
• Legislator visits
• Speak up for libraries!