Time to get your brain back in gear for the new year. Questions out now! Please see comments below...
This ISTE School Librarians / EveryLibrary webinar is designed to give you insights on what you can do to get started quickly on a campaign to safeguard your own position or budget or to get organized across a district when cuts are threatened. Learn about the right way to engage parents and other stakeholders in the face of crisis, and get oriented to how SaveSchoolLibrarians.org can be put to work in support. If there is a threat to your position or budget, or to other school libraries or librarians across your district, know how to mobilize people to help you fight back.
You have to sign up to this free webinar before you can listen to it.
https://www.everylibraryinstitute.org/free_webinar_fighting_back_when_cuts_are_threatened
1. Advocacy is a big deal when your library is under threat. In what way do you currently advocate for your school library and are there other ways you intend to after listening to this webinar?
We have discussed this many times before but it is always good to revisit it. Advocacy is such an important tool for school librarians, we must stop thinking that we are showing off and begin to understand that if we don't tell everyone what we do no one else will. As I am no longer in schools advocacy for me has changed slightly. I find blogging and writing articles very successful. I love social media and although it sometimes has a negative press especially in education I have never had any negative responses to my posts. I love to jump in a teachers twitter chat or conversation about research and talk about how the school librarian can help. I sometimes feel like I am a broken record but then think that social media is so quick that any comments I make are come and gone that a repeat never hurts. They can always mute me if they have had enough...
As you say, @Elizabeth, we have spoken about advocacy and the importance of advocating for libraries many times :). I still feel very uncomfortable tooting my own horn but I do see the need for making my work known to others.
Last school year I began with some baby steps. Being at school in a nearly full-time capacity, my main focus was on building relationships with the teachers - chats in the staffroom, emails with memes (were very popular)/news, organising ILLs (not really a done thing in our network), and, most interestingly, changing the quotes on my email signature regularly generated much conversation. This has helped with teachers being comfortable to reach out to me for assistance.
Another step I took was to begin tweeting library happenings.
And I had interactive displays where I encouraged teachers to participate too.
This year I plan on being more intentional with the tweeting and perhaps posting on our school FB page.
@Annie How interesting that the quotes in your email signature made a difference! Can you share what you use and how you choose them?
It really sounds as if you are pushing your boundaries which is lovely to hear. Well done you!
2. Paying attention is mentioned a lot in this webinar. How do you intend to find out more about what goes on in your school? Do you feel that this is even possible and if not why not?
I liked the way they talked about paying attention in this webinar. So often school librarians don't feel like they have the right to be part of the conversation... Why not?
Are there any ways that you can find out more about what is going on in your school? Can you push yourself into meetings where school change is being discussed. Reading school documents are important too. These are generally open for anyone to read you just have to find them. Knowledge is power!
I would agree with this being an important point. To quote any teenager "D'huh" π. We are in the information business so it only stands to reason that we should keep abreast of happenings in the school. Knowing what is going on is essential not only to advocacy but to meeting teachers' and students' needs in a timely manner.
At our school we have staff briefing once a fortnight, a staff memo emailed out weekly which also lives in Google Drive, and access to school policies and documents also on Google Drive.
@Annie I agree it's very important to know what's going on. The school librarian needs to keep a close watch on minutes of SLT meetings as well as school policies and news bulletins.
3. Become a budget expert is easier said than done. Do you feel that you can/should find out more about the school budget from listening to this webinar. What are the priorities in your school and is the school library one of them?
As a budget holder for a service I understand the problems of prioritising where to spend it. However if any of my staff came to me with a question about what I was spending and a suggestion for another way I would consider it. I was far more open to a reasoned argument and going back to the previous question if I felt that there was a genuine understanding of what was going on I would listen.
It is important that school librarians understand the schools aims and goals that are in the school development plan and if you can link your budget spend to that you are more likely to get somewhere.
I am really not so sure that this is information that leadership would share with me if I asked for it.
At the beginning of last year I did have a meeting with the principal and she gave me a figure that was to be my budget. I tried to keep track of it but unfortunately there were some outstanding invoices that needed attention as well and it got quite messy. I am 99% sure I am starting with a clean slate this year.
I think it would be good to understand the bounds of our own budgets. For example: do authors' visits come out of the school budget or library budget? or are books purchased to support the curriculum bought from the library budget or KLA (key learning area) budget? I don't know the answers to these questions in my own context - something I would need to pluck up the courage to address.
@Annie Your reply Annie is exactly what I was expecting and just how I felt when I worked in a school. I have no idea either how or if you are entitled to see the budget or if this is a closed shop. Do teachers know what budget they have to spend individually or is it only the heads of department? Do HOD's know what other departments get? Is this an open document or something secret? So many unknowns!
I feel that if it is states money then it should be open and there is nothing wrong with asking the question about seeing it. There may be a look of surprise or shock but if your reasons for seeing it are justified then maybe they will open up. The worst is they can say no and that is the end of the conversation. I am visiting a school today so I will see what I can find out and let you know.
I think your idea of a conversation about areas of the budget that concern you is a great way to start. I feel that in opening these conversations shows that we are more than just the person who sits in the library and do have a more rounded picture of what is going on.
4. Who are your allies? Do you engage parents, school board members etc. enough and if not how do you intend to βgetβ to them?
When thinking of this question I mainly thought about my allies being teachers who understood what it was that I did. However from listening to this has made me realise how important it is to galvanise parents and school boards. Again easier said than done as there is a fine line between getting support for your school library and being a trouble maker. I think the way to gain support from parents is through engaging them in the newsletter and occasionally asking for their support through competitions. However school boards are a different matter. It would be interesting to see if any of you can get invited to a board meeting to talk about what you do in your school library. Suggesting that one of them become responsible for the school library is also a good tactic.
Like you, @Elizabeth, I have thought of teachers as my allies. And the other librarians within our school network.
I guess the parents at my school are my allies as they support our annual book fair and help with organising the Scholastic Book Club though I have never consciously thought of them as such.
I wonder if parents have any idea as to why libraries are important in schools and how they enrich their children's lives. I think a very small percentage of my parents would. Would love to know the experiences and thoughts of others here.
@Annie I didn't have much contact with parents as a school librarian. I don't think many schools see library provision as a key "selling point" with parents. If awareness of the potential of a good school library is raised among the general public by the Great School Libraries Campaign and our National Strategy here in Scotland, perhaps this could change.
5. Is being a spokesperson is different from advocacy. Are you prepared to be your own spokesperson? How are you going to empower yourself to do this?
Advocacy is about promoting what you do. Being a spokesperson is back to being that person in the board meeting, the person who knows the school development plan and budget and someone who is not frightened to say that it is important that you exist. This is not about self promotion it is about what is important for your students and teachers...
John Chrastka made some very good points re having a spokesperson - the key one being keeping them in the loop always.
I would not be comfortable being my own spokesperson - I struggle with advocacy! π
Having said that, I will definitely think about it.
@Elizabeth I need to work more on both advocacy and being a spokesperson. I feel I have dipped my toe in both, but more is required!
6. Applying pressure and activism is a scary thing. Have you ever had to do this? Are ready to do this if you have to?
I have only had to do this properly once. My budget had been drastically cut and no-one seemed to understand the impact that this would have. I attended a very senior meeting and had to be prepared to fight my corner. Was I scared, yes! Was I prepared, yes! Did I say how I was feeling and why this was important, yes! Did it make a difference, yes! If we keep quiet when things are going wrong it will only get worse. Once we start managing with nothing there is nowhere to go from there.
If you are already on a zero budget how can you become an activist who can make a difference? Do you have a plan?
@Elizabeth Glad to hear that you found the courage to speak up and make a difference.
I was just about to say I have never been in this position but remembered just in time that a couple of years ago I had to speak up against the closure of our school library. All the library staff (3 of us) sent in written submissions to top leadership and encouraged teachers and students to write/speak up on their own behalf as well. It was daunting and scary but I was outraged on behalf of the students and that gave me the courage to speak up. I discovered that I have a lot more courage when fighting for others than speaking up for myself.
@Annie I think you are right Annie. We find the courage when we need it. It would be nice to find that courage before it is needed sometimes though wouldn't it :)
7. Long term solutions and not relying on parental support is essential⦠I like the argument that equality across schools is important. Do you have funding support now and can you see a way to engage those people to advocate for a decent budget instead of stepping up every year?
It is important that schools see that the school library is essential for teaching and learning and not a luxury. I would suggest that every year there should be a budget request from the school library even if you are not asked to submit one. Highlighting why this is important. Support from parents should be for added extras, not to keep the library running!
@Elizabeth yes, and being evaluative. For example, evaluation on impact of things we do, like Bookbuzz to justify the funding.
@micwag Absolutely! If you can evaluate the impact that is great. Use photographs, emails and verbal feedback. All great evidence and not always thought about.
8. Develop a thick skin⦠How brave are you? Did you ever think that being a school librarian meant this? It is not easy, how are you dealing with it?
I am not brave and no I really did not think that this is what working with school librarians would be all about. I shake every time I have to talk in front of teachers but I know in my heart that this is important. Once I get going I get braver... Once I have a platform no-one is going to drag me off (I hope) so it is my chance to talk passionately about why this is all so important.
@Elizabeth You say this, but look at the things you have achieved! I think just being in a secondary school we all have developed a thick skin! Although, I'm not sure I would be brave enough to address a large audience, but as others have said i earlier conversations, I think we find the courage when we need to.
9. Ending on a positive⦠Are there any good news stories out there?
The biggest good news story for me is that school library communities are rallying around the world to mobilise for our students. In Australia, we've got a campaign called "Students Need School Libraries" which aims to activate and support individuals and groups of parents to take action to get qualified school library staff for all students. We've got a great website with resources (including some great, short films) that people around the world might also find useful. www.studentsneedschoollibraries.org.au
Hi Holly, yes it is a great campaign! In the UK we have something similar called the Great School Libraries campaign https://www.greatschoollibraries.org.uk/
My positive was that I managed to get school libraries on the TV news recently. Every little conversation helps :)
https://www.itv.com/news/channel/2020-01-14/school-librarian-says-more-needs-to-be-done-to-arm-children-against-fake-news/
Thanks for the feedback! I think you are right. Most of the time we donβt think we deserve the right to ask and that just is not the case. I hope what you found was useful π.
Thanks @micwag. It is fascinating (and very sad) to read about the number of children that don't have access to books at home. The things we take for granted..... At my primary school I have noticed the same families 'lose' books every year. We deduced that these might be the only books they would have at home. I do send reminders home but at the end of the year I end up wiping them off our books.