MSLA President Laura Luker is the library teacher at Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley, MA
Hello MSLA members, and welcome. As our respective school years get up and running, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself as the incoming MSLA President. My name is Laura Luker and I’m a K-12 library teacher at the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley. This is my tenth year as a library teacher and my fifteenth year as an educator. Prior to working in the library, I was a secondary English and reading teacher, a background which I feel gives me an excellent footing for collaborating with classroom teachers. In my spare time, I foster rescue dogs and dabble in aerial circus arts. I am equally as enthusiastic about running as I am about cake.
Personal details aside, I’d like to convey to each of you how honored I am to have been asked to be President of this organization. I’m passionate about the work we all do each and every day - not only connecting kids with books, but also helping them to be discerning, involved world citizens. I appreciate the opportunity to advocate for our work being recognized by the broader world.
Personal details aside, I’d like to convey to each of you how honored I am to have been asked to be President of this organization. I’m passionate about the work we all do each and every day - not only connecting kids with books, but also helping them to be discerning, involved world citizens. I appreciate the opportunity to advocate for our work being recognized by the broader world.
To that end, this year one of MSLA’s top priorities is to continue the advocacy efforts called for by the legislative study. Members of our board and advocacy committee continue to hold meetings with DESE officials. We have asked DESE to create a position so that school libraries are represented at the education decision making table and also to begin the process of taking an accurate census of school libraries. If implemented, we hope that these two key activities will create a strong base for our push to provide every Massachusetts student with a qualified school librarian. As numerous studies have shown, students in schools with certified librarians achieve higher test scores and are more academically successful than those without. We know that it’s simply unfair for any student to miss out on this advantage solely based on the school building or district they attend.
This year, I invite each one of you to participate in this effort to level the playing field for all students in Massachusetts. Continue to advocate for school libraries at every turn. Consider reaching out to your legislators, just to let them know about this important issue. You might be surprised to learn that many lawmakers don’t know that schools aren’t required to have certified librarians. Sometimes simply making them aware of this fact and letting them know the proven value of our services is all it takes to create a library champion at the state level. If you need supporting resources or if you’re curious about the work we’re doing, feel free to check out our Libguide.
Thanks and have a great year!
This year, I invite each one of you to participate in this effort to level the playing field for all students in Massachusetts. Continue to advocate for school libraries at every turn. Consider reaching out to your legislators, just to let them know about this important issue. You might be surprised to learn that many lawmakers don’t know that schools aren’t required to have certified librarians. Sometimes simply making them aware of this fact and letting them know the proven value of our services is all it takes to create a library champion at the state level. If you need supporting resources or if you’re curious about the work we’re doing, feel free to check out our Libguide.
Thanks and have a great year!