School Library Advocacy 101: A Beginner's Experience

One of my favorite Gerry Brooks shirts!

📚 I would like to say that I have always been a school library advocate...at least a limited version of one (but I'll talk more about that below). I am a proud school librarian, now serving my district for 17 years. 💗I love my job! I advocate for my position within my building and district. I work to collaborate with my colleagues and keep my administration informed of the "goings-on" in the library. I serve on key committees, work on building and district-wide technology initiatives, provide professional development opportunities for my colleagues ⸺ all the things a good librarian should be doing. However, we all know the danger that looms around our positions and it is MUCH bigger than what is going on in our own buildings. 

Let me break it down for you. According to the latest staffing survey conducted by the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association, 48 Pennsylvania school districts now have ZERO librarians, impacting 90,000 students. The SLIDE study, which is currently underway, reports that Pennsylvania is now ranked 7th in the nation in eliminating the most library positions. Our positions are in danger at a time when students need us most. The SLIDE study is seeking to examine why our positions are being threatened.  In the meantime, many hypothesize that one reason our jobs are being eliminated is because people in the positions to make decisions (school administrators, school board members) are not informed on the overwhelming, 3-decades-long data that shows a positive correlation between high-quality school library programming and overall student academic achievement. In my mind, it is easier to think they are not informed than to imagine they act with deliberate indifference. Whatever the case, there is no doubt about it, school librarians are an endangered species.

Now that I have dropped the doom and gloom on you, it's time for a little optimism. 🌞 The good news is...YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT and there are people who are willing to listen and help. I recently had an opportunity to meet with Acting Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, Eric Hagarty. This was my first time stepping out of my advocacy comfort zone and I'd like to share my beginner's experience with you.

LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE

A few weeks ago, Acting Secretary Hagarty sent an introductory email to participants in the HSLC email listserv. Never, in my 17 years as a librarian, do I ever recall receiving an email from PDE leadership.  Not only was the message welcoming, he shared that his mother was a librarian and recognized the hard work Pennsylvania librarians do as the "bedrock of many communities". I recognized this as an opportunity to reach out with a simple reply email.  I thanked him for the nice email as we headed into the last weeks of school. I asked if he was aware of the SLIDE study and shared the direct link to our state profile page. I signed off by saying I'd love to talk to him about it and clicked the trusty old SEND button. As I clicked the button, I assumed it would end up being siphoned into an assistant's email folder.  Almost immediately, I received a personal response from Secretary Hagarty with a request to meet to discuss the state of school libraries in Pennsylvania. Within a few hours, his assistant had reached out and scheduled a video conference for the following week.  Moral of the story: If someone offers you a seat at the table, sit down!

REACH OUT TO THE EXPERTS

Librarians love to help. It's in our nature..an irresistible scratch that must be itched! I certainly am aware that I am in NO WAY the leading expert on school library programming in the state of Pennsylvania. BUT, I know where I can find them 😊! As a semi-active member of the PSLA Advocacy Committee (aka long-time listener, first-time caller), I knew that Pennsylvania school librarians have access to a campaign of experts willing to provide support at a moment's notice. I sent off a quick email to Deb Kachel, my former professor at Mansfield University (who taught Library Advocacy...and life comes full circle) and current Project Director of the SLIDE study. I value the advice of experts like Deb, and wanted to make the most of my face time with Mr. Hagarty.  Moral of the story: Identify your assets.

STAY INFORMED 

As I mentioned before, I was always on the periphery of the school library advocacy game.  I was there, listening, taking notes, helping where I thought I could, not straying from the safety of my narrow experience.  Looking back, perhaps that was exactly what I needed until I gained the confidence to take action (like clicking that SEND button). As advised by Deb Kachel, I was sure to share the latest PSLA staffing survey data with Mr. Hagarty.  I also used the numerous resources provided on the PSLA website and the PA School Library Project LibGuides.  Another amazing resource was the article entitled "Why school librarians matter: What years of research tell us" written by Lance & Kachel. This article was particularly important because it boils all the research down for you. I was able to highlight, take notes, and create index cards with the critical information I wanted to share with my limited time. After logging into the meeting and introducing ourselves, Mr. Hagarty allowed me to lead our meeting. Using my notes, I was able to share the current data in an efficient and succinct way. Moral of the story: Information is power.

BE SOLUTIONS-FOCUSED

No one wants to sit in a 30 minute meeting to hear Negative Nelly whine and moan about her sinking boat ⛵.  If this decision-maker carved out time from his busy schedule to meet with me, I was going to come prepared with ideas to make the situation better.  Here are some of the suggestions I made:

• Mandate school administrator training on the impact of school libraries
• Offer principal pre-service courses
• PILS courses
• Professional development opportunities at district contact meetings
• Encourage school administration to stop watering down our roles with peripheral duties not critical to the role of the certified school librarian
• Identify school librarians as key players in our schools
• Support House Bill 1168, ensuring all PA students have access to a certified school librarian  
• Enforce Certification Staffing Policy Guideline #48
• Mandate school district budgetary line-items to fund their libraries
• Only PA public libraries are specifically funded. School libraries only survive at the mercy of their districts.

I could see Mr. Hagarty taking notes. He expressed his concern when I informed him that 48 PA school districts have 0 librarians, impacting 90,000 students.  He also asked if a PILS course currently exists to inform administrative leaders on the impact of the school library (the answer is unfortunately no; it would need to be developed).  Mr. Hagarty advised me that he would be reaching out to his Legislative Council to inquire about HB 1168 and requested a follow-up meeting in the future. Overall, my meeting with Secretary Hagarty was a positive experience that will hopefully prove fruitful in effecting change. Moral of the story: A seed has been planted. 

SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE

This step is crucial to the cause.  As I've said before, I was always on the periphery, but I was there! I was listening! I was soaking it all in. Listening to the pioneers of school library advocacy share their knowledge and experience enabled me to take my first step. I don't know why I was so hesitant. Acting Secretary Hagarty was a wonderful audience. He was kind and thoughtful. He asked conscientious questions and even sent a follow-up email before I could beat him to the punch.  Looking at it through a wide lens, libraries are something EVERYONE can get behind. School libraries serve ALL students. We have the highest impact on the most vulnerable student populations. We do great things and it should be shared for all the world to hear. Don't be afraid to share your voice and experience with others. Moral of the story: You never know who might be listening 😉. You never know who you might inspire 💪.