Simply Indispensable: An Action Guide for School Librarians Book

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1 Crisis in School Libraries 1

Secret Language of Impending Cuts 2

Advocacy Efforts and Toolkits 4

2 State Guidelines for School Libraries in the United States 7

3 The AttrACTive Librarian 21

Ten "AttrACTion" Action Items for Every School Librarian 21

Attraction Quiz 22

Setting Realistic Objectives 25

Challenging the Stereotype 27

Q&A 27

4 The InterACTive Librarian 33

Ten "InterACTion" Action Items for Every School Librarian 33

True or Not-So-True Quiz 34

Personality 37

Isolation and the Effect on School Librarians 39

Meetings in Schools 40

Teaching-Staff Meetings 40

Parent-Teacher Organizations 41

School Site Council 41

Grade Level or Departmental Meetings 42

Committees 42

Library Meetings 44

Professional Associations 45

5 The CollaborACTive Librarian 47

Ten "Collaboration" Action Items for Every School Librarian 47

Collaboration Quiz 48

Why Collaborate? 51

Public Library and School Library Collaboration 51

Getting Administrative Support on Campus 54

Building Relationships on Campus 54

Likely Candidates 55

Paraprofessionals 56

Collaborative Models 56

The Shared Planning Process 60

Assessment 60

What the Students Learned 60

What the Teacher Learned 61

What You Learned 61

6 The ImpACTive Librarian 63

Ten "ImpACT" Action Items for Every School Librarian 63

Two-Part Quiz: Do You Know Your Stakeholders? 64

School Librarians! Light that Fire! 67

Traditional Measurements 69

What We Aren't Measuring 70

Action Research and the School Library 72

Equity 74

7 The Librarian as BenefACTor 77

Ten "BenefACTor" Action Items for Every School Librarian 77

"No Way to Fail" Quiz 78

From First to Worst 80

Budget Cuts 82

Understanding Funding 84

Legislative Advocacy 85

Grants 86

Service Organizations 87

Fund-raising 87

Your School Library Budget 88

8 The ProACTive Librarian 91

Ten "ProACTive" Action Items for Every School Librarian 91

Proactive Quiz 92

The School Librarian: Agent of Change 95

Advocacy as a Planned Activity 97

Ten Good Ideas for Advocacy Meetings 99

Legislative Visits 99

Making Yourself Memorable 101

What Is Your Message? 101

Elevator Pitches 102

Letter-Writing Campaigns 103

Sample Letter 104

Letters to the Editor 105

Using Technology to Spread Your Message 105

Blogs 105

Book-Lover Sites 105

Listservs 106

Microblogging 106

Photo Sharing 106

Podcasting/Webcasting 106

Presentations 106

Social Networks 107

Wikis 107

Coalitions 107

9 The ReACTive Librarian 109

Ten "ReACTive" Action Items for Every School Librarian 109

Reactivity Quiz 110

Foreshadowing 110

Getting the Bad News 112

Contact Your Union 113

Activate Your Fan Base 113

Mobilization 114

Planning for the Short-Term Battle 115

Speaking at Meetings 117

Boards of Education 117

Community/Public Forums 117

10 DeACTivation 121

Ten "DeACTivation" Action Items for School Librarians Who Have Been Given Additional Duties or Who Have Been Reduced in Hours 121

Deactivation Quiz 122

Assessing the New Situation 123

Library Closed 123

Library Staff Eliminations 124

Additional Duties 125

Split Assignments 125

Reduction of Hours or Days 125

Bottom Line 126

Meeting Your Administrator to Set Priorities and Policies 126

Create the Stop-Doing List 127

Consider Changes in Policy and Communicate Those Changes 128

Maintain a Positive Attitude 129

Give Up Perfectionism for Your Health 130

Provide Value by Maintaining a Student Focus 130

Maintain and Grow Your Fan Base 131

Use Technology to Simplify 132

Keep Connected 132

Make Wish Lists and Be Ready for Reinstatement 132

Look for Alternative Opportunities 133

Moving Up and Out 133

11 The RetroACTive Librarian 135

Ten "ReACTivation" Action Items for School Librarians Who Return to a Library That Has Been Closed 135

Quiz: Matching Pick the Best Answer 136

Safety 137

Inventory, Weeding, and Cataloging 137

Filling the Gaps Quickly 138

Get Patrons Back into the Library Habit 139

Eat Cake 140

Appendix A: Fund-raising 141

Appendix B: Station Teaching Examples 155

Index 157