MSLA Advocacy PrioritiesCall to Action from president Laura Luker - May 20, 2020
Dear MSLA Members, I hope that you are doing well and finding success in your work, despite the current situation. Last week nearly 400 Massachusetts library workers and supporters gathered virtually to urge state legislators to support the Library Legislative Agenda the Commonwealth’s libraries at Virtual Library Legislative Day. There was a strong sense of urgency because school and public libraries - vital and essential institutions - need support. State support for libraries more important than ever, especially to school libraries with support for online databases and ebooks. The Massachusetts School Library Association introduced the “Virtual School Librarian” to connect school librarians and students in nearly 1,000 school libraries across the Commonwealth, providing them access to vetted online resources, and the opportunity to pose questions to a licensed school library teacher who is well qualified to assist in intelligently sorting through masses of data. School library teachers are working with faculty to develop and support remote teaching with tools to instruct students in use of essential online resources, many of which are MBLC-funded. In some schools, the only virtual resources are those provided with state funding which supports equity of access to information. |
The 369 public libraries in Massachusetts - located in virtually every city and town – offer tremendous resources. They level the playing field for access to information, resources, and services. Recognized and trusted as a source for vetted and unbiased information, they support education, employment, enrichment, literacy, and so much more. They provide space for communities to come together, work together, create together, and learn together. Especially in these deeply challenging times.
Ask your State Representatives and Senators for your home and school’s location to support all of the lines in the Library Legislative Agenda to the best of their ability. Library funding suffered after the 2002 and 2009 recessions at the same time the need and use of libraries increased. Let’s make sure state funding for libraries is supported as use increases during the current economic crisis.
Now, we’re urging you to call upon your elected officials to support libraries! We suggest including information about why you believe that libraries are important in your message.
You can find contact information for your State Legislators at LINK to call their office or send them an email, or
You can visit the Massachusetts Library Association’s Engage site to send a prepared message that you can customize with a sentence about your library. It only takes a minute! at LINK.
Ask your State Representatives and Senators for your home and school’s location to support all of the lines in the Library Legislative Agenda to the best of their ability. Library funding suffered after the 2002 and 2009 recessions at the same time the need and use of libraries increased. Let’s make sure state funding for libraries is supported as use increases during the current economic crisis.
Now, we’re urging you to call upon your elected officials to support libraries! We suggest including information about why you believe that libraries are important in your message.
You can find contact information for your State Legislators at LINK to call their office or send them an email, or
You can visit the Massachusetts Library Association’s Engage site to send a prepared message that you can customize with a sentence about your library. It only takes a minute! at LINK.
April 13, 2020 - School librarians from across the Commonwealth are coming together to provide virtual library services to all students, families,
and teachers during the current crisis. The Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA) in collaboration with the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), the Massachusetts Library System (MLS), and the Boston Public Library (BPL) has launched a new resource called Virtual School Librarian (https://guides.masslibsystem.org/VirtualSchoolLibrarian) in order for students without a certified school librarian to have equal access to vital State-funded i nformation resources and professional guidance including a form to submit questions to a
school librarian.
The site offers several resources:
and teachers during the current crisis. The Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA) in collaboration with the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), the Massachusetts Library System (MLS), and the Boston Public Library (BPL) has launched a new resource called Virtual School Librarian (https://guides.masslibsystem.org/VirtualSchoolLibrarian) in order for students without a certified school librarian to have equal access to vital State-funded i nformation resources and professional guidance including a form to submit questions to a
school librarian.
The site offers several resources:
- •“Ask a School Librarian” webform for library assistance. Volunteers from MSLA will monitor the site on a daily basis.
- Statewide Library Resources: The link is provided by the MBLC. Because libraries are closed to the public at this time, the links to virtual resources are quite valuable and MBLC encourages their wide use.
- Boston Public Library eCard Registration: Additional online resources are available to all Massachusetts residents through this partially state-supported resource.
- Coronavirus (Covid-19) Resources from the MLS
School Libraries matter—But not all students have what they need
(Printable Version)
The Special Commission on School Library Services in Massachusetts
submitted its findings in February 2018 with recommendations to improve equity of access to school library services in its report: The Massachusetts School Library Study: Equity and Access for Students in the Commonwealth to the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Education. The Commission, which included educators, legislators, librarians, and members of the business community, found that Massachusetts public school students do not have equity when it comes to their school library programs.
Access to a school library and a school librarian benefits every student, but
The Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA), the professional organization for Massachusetts school library teachers, calls for action to implement the recommendations to improve equity of access to students in Massachusetts as recommended by the Special Commission.
The most important first steps:
Further information on the Special Commission’s report is available at: https://libguides.salemstate.edu/MASchoolLibraryResearchProject
Please contact Greg Pronevitz, MSLA Communications Specialist, if you have any questions: gpronevitz@maschoolibraries.org
(Printable Version)
The Special Commission on School Library Services in Massachusetts
submitted its findings in February 2018 with recommendations to improve equity of access to school library services in its report: The Massachusetts School Library Study: Equity and Access for Students in the Commonwealth to the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Education. The Commission, which included educators, legislators, librarians, and members of the business community, found that Massachusetts public school students do not have equity when it comes to their school library programs.
Access to a school library and a school librarian benefits every student, but
- There is no Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) staff member charged with overseeing school library programs and no data is collected regularly regarding the number of schools with libraries or the number of schools with licensed school librarians in Massachusetts public schools.
- One in five schools have no licensed school librarian.
- The majority of school libraries have no support staff. Librarians are performing clerical work, when
they could be teaching students. - Fewer than half of Massachusetts school districts have a library or technology director.
- School libraries, often in urban schools, are frequently closed to provide testing or due to lack of staff.
Access to information from digital resources and technology benefits every student, but - Urban school districts have significantly less access to information technology compared to rural and suburban districts. This includes access to state-funded online resources.
- Many districts have limited access to computers in the school library and poor internet access, and this is more common in urban and rural districts.
The Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA), the professional organization for Massachusetts school library teachers, calls for action to implement the recommendations to improve equity of access to students in Massachusetts as recommended by the Special Commission.
The most important first steps:
- Creating a position at the DESE to oversee implementation of the Special Commission’s recommendations, to work with stakeholders to recommend appropriate language in possible Chapter 70 revisions and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) documents and funding requests, and to act as a liaison between DESE, school librarians, the library community and other stakeholders.
- Conducting a thorough, detailed census of public school library programs to determine exactly where the inequities lie with regard to student access to a school library, librarians and staffing, funding, information technology, physical/electronic resources, and other factors related to school library services in the Commonwealth.
Further information on the Special Commission’s report is available at: https://libguides.salemstate.edu/MASchoolLibraryResearchProject
Please contact Greg Pronevitz, MSLA Communications Specialist, if you have any questions: gpronevitz@maschoolibraries.org
Updated: January 8, 2021