"Sometimes you gotta honk your own horn, cause if you don't, nobody is gonna know you're coming!" - Dolly Parton

The KEY to advocacy: Student Achievement!

Step 1: Gather facts and statistics about the staffing situation of teacher librarians, but do this for your own knowledge, not for public consumption. The goal is to be a winner, not a whiner.
Step 2: Gather facts and statistics about how teacher librarians impact student achievement, but prepare it for public consumption very thoughtfully. Statistics have impact, but an anecdotal approach has power. Remember, a parent simply wants to know: "What is the school doing to help my child achieve?"
Step 3: What are you actually doing at the site level that promotes student achievement through professional library teaching and activities?
Step 4: Create an advocacy plan that is comfortable for YOU!

ACTION: Gather facts and information
National level
American Library Association (ALA)

• ALA's @your library®, The Campaign for America's Libraries presents advocacy campaign goals
• NCLB and ALA Resolution on school libraries
• ALA's "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 101" stimulus information
• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA's) help for school libraries: President Obama's funding initiatives addressed by ALA President Jim Rettig: “It is important that library advocates and supporters make sure that school superintendants, school board members, and their governor understand the importance of using these funds to invest in our children by investing in school libraries and librarians."

American Association of School Libraries (AASL)

• AASL Resolution for school libraries
• The SKILLS Act, 2007.
• Toolkits for every advocacy / Crisis Toolkit = Steps for action plan
• "School Libraries Count" national survey
• Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning (order book)
• Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning (PDF)
• The research on school libraries by Keith Curry Lance.
  

LRS "School Library Impact Studies"

National Education Association (NEA): educational funding

Other articles of interest
1. School Library Journal (SLJ)
"More Than Money Can Buy," shows the cost of buying books.
2. School Library Journal (SLJ)
President Obama and school library funding
3. Jim Rettig in Change magazine on the importance of school libraries

State level (California)
California Department of Education (CDE)

November 2009: The Draft Model School Library Standards for California Public Schools (School Library Standards) are now available for field review on the California Department of Education Web page (http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/lb/). The field review period will continue through Friday, December 18, 2009. Your comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome. A form is available on the Web page and comments may be submitted via email (librarystandards@cde.ca.gov), fax (916-319-0172) or mail. The School Library Standards are expected to go to the State Board of Education for approval at its meeting on March 10-11, 2010.

March 2009: "The California Department of Education (CDE) recommends that the State Board of Education (SBE) authorize the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) to develop statutorily required model standards for school libraries."

• CDE School Library statistics and general information
  
• County Offices of Education / County / District / Budget
• CDE's School Library Survey 2008-09
• CBEDS and CA Library Media Teachers

California Teacher's Association (CTA)

• CTA's library advocacy
• CTA endorses "Read Across America"
• Contact Your Lawmaker to protect school librarians

California School Library Association (CSLA)

• CSLA Toolkit for Advocacy and Action
• Free download: Standards and Guidelines for Strong School Libraries
• School Library Learning 2.0 Web2 training
• Newsletter
• Good Ideas!
• Brochure: Paraprofessionals in CA School Libraries
• Job Hotline for California school libraries

Doug Achterman's California School Libraries Work!

California Teacher Librarians become Teachers-of-the-Year

Regional level
California School Library Association (CSLA)

• Northern Section calendar of events
• Northern Section region representatives
  
• Southern Section calendar of events and Spring Workshop 2009
• Southern Section region representatives
  

Riverside County Teacher's Association (RCTA) / contact legislators

ACTION: Show What You DO!
District level
1. Share units/lessons at Teacher Librarian meetings
2. Make Board Meeting presentations:
Board presentation 2008, picture-based PowerPoint of busy school library
Board presentation 2009, budget-based document to retain TLs
3. Review your district budget regarding funding of staff and libraries such as mine here in Riverside USD budget
4. Marie Slim blogs School Board presentations that have real impact
5. Be inspired by other outstanding advocacy materials: Dillon School District, South Carolina

School Site level
TEACH an information literacy system: The Research Process*
TRAIN: Library Media Assistants TA training by Ann Akers-Grant, RUSD
Create a library brochure
Create a library snapshot
Create library Strategic Plan.
Write an advocacy response to your principal
*Order The Research Process materials: TitleWave or Libraries Unlimited

ACTION: Share Your Experiences
Book by Sandy Schuckett: You Have the Power! from Linworth Publishers
Blogsite Jackie Siminitus: Library Advocate
Paper by Connie Williams, 2009 CSLA President
Article by Topsy Smalley on making a difference
Article by Stephen Krashen on the case for libraries
Flyer by Doug Achterman on how school libraries make a difference