Advocacy @ SLJ Summit October 9, 2009
Posted by jfreeman in : Advocacy, Spokane Moms , 1 comment so farLisa Layera Brunkan, one of the “Spokane Moms,” recently gave the keynote speech at the SLJ Summit. Here is a 4-minute YouTube video showing Lisa talking about advocacy and showcasing our students and library programs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6ZyUDqbZf8
Ohio Legislative Success July 27, 2009
Posted by jfreeman in : Advocacy , add a commentEarlier this month Ohio state legislators passed legislation that will phase in funding for licensed librarian and media specialists in Ohio’s schools, based upon school populations. The Ohio Educational Library Media Association (OELMA) has posted information on their website to help other states with their advocacy efforts, including a timeline with strategies and a wiki with talking points.
In a joint email to LM-NET, Deb Logan (Advocacy Co-Chair) and Marie Sabol (2009 President) of OELMA said, “Work and preparation came together with opportunity.” Congratulations to OELMA for being ready to take advantage of a positive environment.
Thanks go to OELMA for providing these materials to a wider, interested audience.
OELMA Advocacy Information – http://www.oelma.org/Ohio.htm
Learning4Life Summit & Advocacy July 19, 2009
Posted by jfreeman in : Advocacy, Conferences, Standards , add a commentI was unable to attend ALA in Chicago this summer, but I was following along as best as I could virtually via Twitter, blogs, etc. One of the most interesting sessions via Twitter was the Learning4Life Summit discussing implementation and marketing of the standards, but the session also included marketing and advocacy ideas for libraries, librarians and programs, including time to craft elevator speeches focusing on one or two standards.
I have tried unsuccessfully to find blog entries or continuing conversations around the Summit or these ideas. If you attended the L4L Summit at ALA, please add comments below or links to blog entries. It was an interesting virtual conversation and it should continue outside of that room. Some sample tweets are included below, but for the entire Twitter conversation that took place during the session, search for #aasll4l:
Marketing Your School Library June 29, 2009
Posted by jfreeman in : Advocacy , add a commentDuring the summer weeks we often have time to think more about the “big picture” ideas, instead of the everyday details. One such idea to consider is marketing for our school libraries. Public and academic libraries have budgets and staff to design and carry out marketing plans, but there are useful ideas for school librarians found in articles and blogs about library marketing.
Library Marketing: Thinking Outside the Book is a recently discontinued (but still available) blog written by Jill Stover, with marketing ideas which can be adapted to school libraries. Relevant topics include creativity, statistics, advocacy, and trends.
Contrary to popular perception, promotional activities (advertising, public relations, etc.), are not always about convincing people to buy the latest and greatest [fill in the blank]. Often, promotion objectives include changing attitudes and behaviors.
Telling the Library Story Toolkit from the State Library of Iowa encourages libraries to share their libraries using the key elements of storytelling.
The Telling the Library Story Tool Kit was jointly developed by the Iowa Library Service Areas and the State Library of Iowa to assist Iowa libraries in explaining and demonstrating the value of their services in order to increase use of and support for libraries.
The ‘M’ Word: Marketing Libraries by Kathy Dempsey and Kathy Dowd introduces the idea of marketing to librarians using their own experiences.
We also discussed that annoying question, “why do we still need libraries when we have the internet?” and I suggested some snappy comebacks for you to fire at those who dared ask.
Please add your own marketing resources and ideas in the comments.
Today Show Segment Relevant for SLMP June 11, 2009
Posted by Melissa Jacobsen in : Advocacy, Check this out! , add a commentThis morning the Today Show ran a segment on the important role libraries play during the recession, using data and resources provided by the ALA and public libraries:
Libraries lend a hand in tough times
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/31237988#31237988
The ALA Public Information Office worked with the Today Show on this segment and has followed up to encourage NBC affiliates to take up the story locally. But you can help extend the reach of this positive story in several ways:
1) Include the Today Show link on your library Web site
2) Reach out to your local media this week with your local story (particularly NBC affiliates), complemented by national data from the ALA. Two key data points from the Today Show were: 73% of public libraries report they provide the only free access to the Internet in their communities. This rises to 83 percent for rural libraries: http://tinyurl.com/mupmzd and www.ala.org/plinternetfunding . Also, 68 percent of Americans have a library card: http://tinyurl.com/9ewpcc.
3) Take advantage of free ALA resources to help tell your story to media, elected officials and funders:
Job-Seeking in U.S. Public Libraries
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/ors/plftas/Issues%20brief-jobs.pdf
Using data from the Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study, the issues brief discusses the range of library resources available to job seekers and the challenges to maintaining these services. Additional briefing reports are at: http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/ors/plftas/Issues_Briefs.cfm. Get a free copy of the PDF by emailing Larra Clark at lclark@ala.org.
Advocating in a Tough Economy Toolkit
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/advocacyuniversity/toolkit/index.cfm
Get tips, tools and messages that work.
Get the word out!
For questions or support around media outreach, please contact Macey Morales, mmorales@ala.org, or Jennifer Petersen, jpetersen@ala.org, in the ALA Public Information Office.
For questions or support around advocacy tools, please contact Marci Merola, mmerola@ala.org, or Jaclyn Finneke, jfinneke@ala.org.
For questions or support around statistics and research, please contact Denise Davis, dmdavis@ala.org, or Larra Clark at lclark@ala.org.
Second Life: Advocacy with Administrators May 19, 2009
Posted by jfreeman in : Advocacy, Professional Development, Technology , add a commentDear AASL Members:
Please plan to attend our last learning community meeting of the school year in Second Life on Tues, May 19th at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT. Let’s come together to discuss powerful ways to influence administrators to support our library programs! We will be on the ALA Main Stage at http://slurl.com/secondlife/ALA%20Island/127/102/29. If you are new to Second Life, see http://blogs.cuip.net/dlis/attend-our-librarian-meetings for instructions on how to join. This time, we will focus on the important issue of successful advocacy for our library media programs with our administrators. Our guest facilitators will be Marla W. McGhee and Barbara A. Jansen, authors of the book “The Principal’s Guide to a Powerful Library Media Program.” We will be giving away a copy of the book to one lucky winner!
Forging Powerful Partnerships for Student Success
“Principals, assistant principals and central office staff seldom learn about library media centers or the role of teacher-librarians in their preparation programs. However, decisions administrators make can either enhance or inhibit the work of librarians and the effectiveness of the school library. This session will focus on how to approach educational leaders to communicate the importance a quality library media program can make in the learning life of a school.”
See you in-world!
Lisa E. Perez
Enhancing Learning with ARRA Funding Webinar May 17, 2009
Posted by jfreeman in : AASL News, Advocacy, Hot Topics, Opportunities , add a commentWEBCAST NAME: Stimulate this Library! Accessing American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding
SPONSORED BY: School Library Journal,, Capstone Publishers, Follett Library Resources and ALA Washington Office
EVENT DATE: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 – 3:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time; 60 Minutes
Click to register today for “Stimulate Your Library!”
You’ve no doubt heard about the economic stimulus package. And now you’re probably wondering how you can get your hands on some of the funds. With passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), a considerable amount of money has started to flow from Congress to the states. And the good news is that there are many opportunities for school libraries to benefit.
Although there are funds that media specialists can take advantage of, for the most part, local and state superintendents will decide how to allocate that money. It’s extremely important that school librarians and their supporters lobby hard for their piece of the funding.
Want to increase your chances of receiving some of this unprecedented level of funding? Join our panel of education, social policy, and library advocacy experts for this 60-minute Webcast to learn how to identify eligible projects—which include new tech initiatives, renovations or newly constructed buildings, and partnerships with Title I programs.
Panelists:
Emily Sheketoff, Associate Executive Director, ALA Washington Office
Vic Klatt, Vice President, Van Scoyoc Associates
Ann Martin, President, American Association of School Librarians; Educational Specialist for Library Information Services for the Henrico County Public Schools, Richmond, Virginia
Moderator:
Dodie Ownes, Editor, SLJTeen
Click to register today for “Stimulate Your Library!”
Elevator speech May 16, 2009
Posted by jfreeman in : Advocacy , add a commentThe idea that you might step into an elevator and see your superintendent or a school board member standing there alone, a captive audience for 30 seconds, may not be a situation we are prepared to address. In some communities you may bump into them at the store, at a soccer game, or at a school event such as a book fair. In this age of sound bites, having an “elevator speech” readily available, fluent, and practiced is critical for those potential opportunities.
One minute of practiced information can come in handy, particularly if it is delivered in a conversational manner. One tip is to use this information when someone asks you what you do. Instead of saying, “I’m a librarian” and allowing the other person to apply their stereotype to you, give them a short synopsis of what you do every day, how you affect children and their education, how you are an integral part of your school community. Tell them how you make a difference in a few sentences and help them change their stereotype or drop it completely.
Points to consider including in your speech (choose three or four that apply to your current situation):
- Research/21 Century information skills
- A personal anecdote about students
- Budget realities with numbers: # of students, $ per student, cost of books, etc.
- How you support curriculum and teaching throughout the school
- Selection of materials for different populations: ELL, AP, Low Readers, Foreign Language, etc.
- End with an action request for libraries, librarians, and library programs
For a good example of how to keep it short and sweet, see this post from Doug Johnson on his Blue Skunk Blog about his educational technology elevator speech.
What is your elevator speech? What points do you consider essential to include? Have you shared with someone and did it have an effect? Please share in the comments.
A Message from ALA President Jim Rettig May 15, 2009
Posted by Melissa Jacobsen in : Advocacy, Hot Topics, survey , add a commentSurvey request from ALA President Jim Rettig.
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Dear Colleagues,
Some of you may have heard me discuss the Library Ecosystem: the idea that all types of libraries are interrelated. For example, the closing of a school library in a community will have impact on the public library in that community, which now has to deal with overflow from the school; as well as the college library, which now has to teach remedial information literacy skills to incoming freshmen. In order not just to survive but to thrive in today’s economy, libraries of all types must come together and advocate with a unified voice.
To that end, I have created a special task force that is working with the Office for Library Advocacy to produce a web resource on this topic. The Building Coalitions web resource will be part of Advocacy University, and will launch at our annual conference in July. We have engaged Library Strategies, a consulting group of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, to help us build this website.
Your input is needed! Library Strategies has compiled a brief survey to help identify libraries and library organizations which are involved, or have been involved, in advocacy coalitions. I ask that you take just two-three minutes to fill out this survey at http://tinyurl.com/advocacyuniversity. Your input is important in helping us continue to serve libraries and library organizations in their advocacy efforts.
In addition, if you are attending the 2009 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, please attend my panel discussion, Coalition Building for All Libraries in a Tough Economy, Saturday, July 11, 4;00 to 5:30, McCormick Place West, Room 196B. More information can be found here: http://www.ala.org/libraryecosystem.
Thank you,
Jim Rettig
2008-2009 President
American Library Association
AASL Survey on Economic Situation in SLMPs May 1, 2009
Posted by Melissa Jacobsen in : Advocacy, Hot Topics , comments closedDuring these tough economic times it is more important than ever for AASL to advocate on behalf of the community we serve. Throughout the year, AASL responds to the school library media community through our Advocacy toolkits and, for those programs in jeopardy, formal letters. Additionally, AASL often responds to requests for comments from the media. The recent economic state has created an influx of media inquiries surrounding the impact of recession on children in particular, and AASL would like to be prepared to offer both overall data on U.S. school library media programs, but also some local community examples.
We are asking all SLMS to please take a few minutes to complete a survey regarding your district’s school library media programs. The survey should take no more than 5 minutes of your time and can greatly impact the future of school library media programs across the country.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ESNa8L5rv_2bkK1c0EiKR_2fUA_3d_3d
Thank you for your time and for helping AASL to continue our commitment to the school library media community.
