Published by RockHill Communications

Source: American Association of School Librarians

The brief article at this site makes a convincing case for the school library media center. Part of the American Association of School Librarians' Advocacy Toolkit, the article consists of 10 documented facts that, taken as a group, argue strongly for the establishment and continuing support of media centers at all school libraries. Any or all of these quotable facts would make a lasting impression on your audience. Among the most convincing points is this: "The highest achieving students come from schools with good library media centers." Suitable for teachers, librarians, technical coordinators, and library media specialists.

Source: American Association of School Librarians

Library advocates who are preparing a presentation for parents about the important role of school library media centers will find excellent points at this site. Drawn from the Advocacy Toolkit of the American Association of School Librarians, the article helps parents to evaluate their children's school library and offers suggestions for ways they can support the library. Suitable for teachers, librarians, technical coordinators, and library media specialists.

Source: American Association of School Librarians

This site, maintained by the American Association of School Librarians, offers an excellent slide presentation on the American Library Association's (ALA) guidelines for school library media programs and information literacy standards for student learning. The presentation is based on ALA's Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning. To view the presentation, which can be downloaded directly from this site, you'll need Microsoft PowerPoint. Suitable for teachers, librarians, technical coordinators, and library media specialists.

Source: American Library Association

For the nearly 39 million students in elementary, middle, and high schools with library media centers, the library is at the heart of the learning experience, according to the American Library Association (ALA). The ALA has gathered fascinating statistics at this site about school libraries, their expenditures, and staffing. Nearly 85 percent of the country's 111,000 public and private schools have library media centers, according to the ALA. This site will acquaint you with the resources these centers offer. Suitable for teachers and librarians.

Source: Mark Y. Herring

As expansive as the Internet is, it's no substitute for the breadth of resources found in most libraries, according Mark Y. Herring, Dean of Library Services at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. This article originally appeared in the journal American Libraries, published by the American Library Association. Herring offers 10 reasons, including the Internet's lack of quality control, as to why we still need libraries despite the wealth of information on the Internet. Suitable for teachers and librarians.

Source: Minnesota Educational Media Organization

You can download a film about the changing role of libraries at this site. Produced by the Minnesota Educational Media Organization, the film explores the qualities that make a good library and explains why some libraries fail to make the mark. Although the film is specific to Minnesota, it may be adapted by groups in other states to show parents or administrators how to support their libraries. Note that the film file is extremely large; a script also is offered. Suitable for teachers and librarians.

Source: British Columbia Teacher-Librarians' Association

A wealth of library advocacy presentation resources are available at this site, maintained by the British Columbia Teacher-Librarians' Association. Although many of the materials were written specifically for use in the schools of British Columbia and other Canadian provinces, others are products of U.S. organizations, including the American Library Association. Several of the resources are available in Microsoft PowerPoint. Suitable for teachers, librarians, technical coordinators, and library media specialists.

Source: Gary Hartzell

In this paper presented to the White House Conference on School Libraries in June 2002, Gary Hartzell, PhD, offers interesting ideas about maximizing the benefits of school library programs for students. Hartzell, a professor of educational administration at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, discusses the impact of various aspects of library programs on student achievement. Access the full text of Hartzell's essay in either HTML or PDF format (Adobe Acrobat Reader required) or browse by section. Suitable for teachers and librarians.

Source: Carol Simpson

The advent and explosive growth of the Internet has profoundly altered the nature of the school librarian's job. Carol Simpson, facilitator in library technology for the Mesquite (Texas) Independent School District explores those changes in this report. Archived by the U.S. Department of Education's ERIC Digest database, Simpson's report chronicles the transition of the librarian from warehouser to consultant, as well as the important role played by the information center manager in today's library. Suitable for teachers and librarians.

Source: Colorado Department of Education's Library Research Service

From the Colorado Department of Education's Library Research Service comes this executive summary of a study that shows the importance of collaborative approaches to information literacy. The study explores the effects that such factors as program development, information technology, and flexible scheduling have on student achievement. To access the summary, available only in PDF format, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. Suitable for teachers and librarians.

Source: Iowa Educational Media Association

From the Iowa Educational Media Association come two excellent slide presentations—one for administrators and the other for teachers—examining library media programs and how they can help students, teachers, and administrators. The presentations cover information literacy, the shifting roles and goals of school libraries, and the importance of collaboration. Both presentations are available in Microsoft PowerPoint. Scripts and a handout accompanying the presentations are offered in PDF format (Adobe Acrobat Reader required). Suitable for teachers, librarians, technical coordinators, and library media specialists.

Source: Institute of Museum and Library Services

To put the spotlight on the critical role of school libraries, U.S. First Lady Laura Bush hosted a White House Conference on School Libraries in June 2002. This site, hosted by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, provides the text of papers presented at the one-day conference, as well as links to additional information. Among the reports are "The Role of School Librarians in Elementary and Secondary Education" and "What Research Tells Us About the Importance of School Libraries." Suitable for teachers and librarians.

Source: Gary Hartzell

School librarians and the resources they provide are all too frequently regarded with indifference by the educators they strive to serve. Gary Hartzell, PhD, a professor of educational administration at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, and former school principal, examines the reasons librarians are undervalued and what they can do to increase their visibility. The essay is part of the DeWitt Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund National Library Power program. Suitable for teachers and librarians.

Source: Library Research Service

An arm of the Colorado Department of Education's Colorado State Library, the Library Research Service (LRS) is "a market-driven public-private partnership that generates research and statistics to inform decision-making in library and information management." The LRS site contains a wealth of library research, statistics, and studies. The site also has issues of the service's Fast Facts bulletins—each of which features data on a particular theme—as far back as 1996. Suitable for teachers and librarians.

Source: American Association of School Librarians

If you're a school librarian or administrator, you will find valuable guidance at this site for writing a mission statement for your media program. Adapted from the American Association of School Librarians' A Planning Guide for Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning, the article provides a framework for building a mission statement, including questions and exercises to help determine what information you should include. You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this PDF document. Suitable for teachers and librarians.

Source: Pennsylvania School Librarians Association

This site by the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association offers a number of presentation resources that address key issues facing school librarians, teachers, and administrators. Subjects covered include Preemptive Action: The Busy Librarian's Guide to Program Evaluation and Collaboration: The Key to Building Partnerships for Learning. You can download the Microsoft PowerPoint slide presentations and accompanying scripts in Microsoft Word directly from the site. Suitable for teachers, librarians, technical coordinators, and library media specialists.

Source: Joyce Kasman Valenza

First published in the April 2002 issue of Classroom Connect, the article at this site explores the changing role of the school librarian in a world revolutionized by technological advances. Written by Joyce Kasman Valenza, MLS, a school librarian at Springfield Township High School in Erdenheim, Pennsylvania, the "field guide" points out that librarians are an increasingly endangered species at many schools. Examined are the librarian's diverse roles as teacher, instructional partner, and information specialist. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view the article. Suitable for teachers, librarians, technical coordinators, and library media specialists.

Source: Andrea Glass Schuman

Andrea Glass Schuman, associate news and features editor of School Library Journal, offers valuable tips for school library officials on how to deal with the media. The heart of Schuman's article is a list of 12 dos and don'ts for those seeking to promote their libraries in the media. Schuman, a member of the media herself, offers interesting insights from a reporter's point of view. You also will find sample questions from the press that you can practice answering. Suitable for teachers and librarians.

Source: Teacher Librarian

From Teacher Librarian, a magazine for library professionals, comes this archive of the magazine's popular column, "What Works." Written by Ken Haycock, editor of Teacher Librarian and executive director of the International Association of School Librarianship, each column focuses on a recent library study. Haycock summarizes its findings and offers a brief comment on its relevance to readers, as well as information on where the study can be found. The columns are listed in reverse chronological order with their titles and a short description. Suitable for teachers and librarians.

Source: American Library Association

This slide show provides an excellent introduction to the subject of school library advocacy and its growing importance in today's rapidly changing world. The presentation, produced by the American Association of School Librarians, a division of the American Library Association, was prepared in Microsoft PowerPoint, which you will need to view it. This is a valuable resource for librarians, teachers, and administrators. Suitable for teachers, librarians, technical coordinators, and library media specialists.