Everyday Advocacy

Supportive Research & Articles
The Non-Negotiable Role of School Librarians (Beck, 2019)  National Association of Secondary School Principals
Collaborating with your school librarian (Gregory, 2018)
Why School Librarians Matter: What years of research tells us, (Lance & Kachel, 2018)
Most Americans-especially Millennials say libraries can help them find reliable, trustworthy information (Geiger, 2017)  (Consider in relationship to educating Generation Z students).
Advocacy Resources
ALA- Public Library & School Library Collaboration Tool Kit

University of Kansas- Community Tool Box
DESE Involvement
 DESE opportunities such as Teachers Advisor Cabinet  http://www.doe.mass.edu/amazingeducators/cabinets/

Nominate a peer school librarian for an award http://www.doe.mass.edu/aMAzingEducators/

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DESE: Teacher’s Top Three
One ripple can lead to a wave of change.
What is Everyday Advocacy?

Engaging in simple actions to garner public support towards positive change.

What is an Everyday Advocate? 

An everyday advocate is someone who engages in simple yet effective actions that when combined with others can change a culture.  Everyday advocates seek improvement by continually sharing, never waiting for a crisis to develop. 


How can MA School Library Teachers & Supporters become everyday advocates? 
Massachusetts School Library Teachers and their supporting partners can engage in various activities that both present and explain the value of a certified school library teacher and well-developed library program. Listed are a few everyday advocacy activities to consider. 

Individual Advocacy 
A single individual publicly expressing the importance of a single message can send positive waves into a community.  

     Ways to Share 
  • Arrange to speak at a school committee meeting.
  • Post on the town or city’s social media. 
  • Write a Letter-to-the-Editor in the local papers.
  • Write an official letter to the school committee that requires a response. 
  • Create a website for your school library & connect with the district web page. 
  • Send newsletters to the community.
  • Contribute to the school and district’s communications home. 
  • Present at a parent meeting (PTO, PTA, school council mandatory public meetings, special education mandatory public meetings).
      What to Publicly Share
  • Positive influences the school library program has had on student learning.    
  • Happenings in the school’s library.
  • Thanking those who contribute to the school library’s support & success. 
  • New programs, policies, and resources that support student education.
  • Research that supports how the school library and having a certified school librarian is of value to each child’s learning. 
  • Share collected data,  anecdotes, and budget needs at year's end. 
   
Collaborative Advocacy
When a single goal is publicly expressed by more than two, advocates are collaborating.  It is important that the single goal becomes a positive message that can point back to the continual growth of individual learning potential. 

    Ways to Collaboratively Advocate
  • Create a collaborative vision for the library & share in school/district print & online publications.
  • Create and share the progress of sustained positive student involvement within the school library.  Work with involved students to create community connections such as “Teach and Adult technology night.”
  • Become an active member of school & district leadership teams &  committees to ensure curriculum connection to the school library & AASL standards. 
  • Continuously design collaboration opportunities with educators.
  • Develop partnerships with other school libraries & publicly share successes.
  • Offer to support a teacher in a district without a school librarian.
  • Host a special day for town and city school committee and governmental members of service featuring positive actions of the school library.  
  • Host a school library appreciation & have students wear supporting t-shirts.
  • Partner with a public library & school library on an event or method for student support. 
  • Pair and share with school librarians within your educational collaborative
  • Host a pre-service librarian’s practicum & share your support of future educators. 
Grassroots Advocacy
Bring together ordinary people, such as parents, guardians, and community members supporting the school library. 

Institutional Advocacy
Connect with organizations to offer how each one's perspective is a component leading to a common goal. 
  • Build a network of decision-makers within the town, city and/or learning collaborative that will advocate together. 

  • Continually grant write (small local & large). Grant often collaborates with other departments, organizations & the community. 

  • Initiate a paired advocacy with groups that have goals such as STEM, literacy, and educational research.






Updated: February 2, 2020                          Page Editors: Deeth Ellis dellis@maschoolibraries.org and Georgina Trebbe gtrebbe@maschoolibraries.org