School libraries

under threat:

How to ensure

survival?

LIB 600 Libraries and Education 2015

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Storms ahead!

The economy has been

stormy, and principals

and superintendents

are looking for ways

to save money.

That threatens school

libraries and school

librarians, and they

are often among the

first to succumb to the

storms.

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What Could be the Result?

Formula: School library position minimum: 0.02 FTE = 20% or 1/5 position

Kentucky is no exception! 4

Another Kentucky example! 5

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Other states

• As with other public-school districts, Mesa

Public Schools are not required to have a

certified media specialist operate their

libraries and have cut the positions because of

financial problems.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2008/

09/02/20080902librarians0902.html#ixzz2XNtgdNEF

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http://4lakidsnews.blogspot.com/2008/01/

chicago-school-librarians-wont-go.html

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Philadelphia 2013

http://www.slj.com/2013/06/budgets-funding/philadelphia-begins-laying-off-school-

librarians/

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Imagine a newly modernized school

with a built-in library/media center

— but no books to put on the shelves. Actually, you

don’t have to imagine.

Read about what’s going on with libraries in D.C.

public schools (DCPS) in this open letter to Mayor

Vincent Gray from D.C. resident and school library

advocate Peter MacPherson. He’s been fighting a

move by DCPS to cut funding for dozens of school

librarian positions.

Read MacPherson’s letter athttp://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-

sheet/wp/2012/10/09/school-libraries-without-books/

No longer available

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Succes story: From cuts . . . 13

http://ala-

apa.org/newsletter/2008/03/15/campaigns-

spreading-to-reverse-downturn-in-spokane-

wa-library-financing/

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. . . to capers

• Spokane Moms campaign is

grass-roots success story

• Spokane Public Schools is

restoring some of the funding

cut from elementary libraries

last year, thanks largely to the

lobbying efforts of three women

who have become heroes among

librarians nationwide.

• “They call us the Spokane

Moms, which I think is so

funny,” said Lisa

Layera Brunkan.

• June 25, 2008 - Updated: June 30, 4:10 p.m.

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How did they do it?

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An emulation attempt that fizzled16

Nancy Sullivan, a media specialist at

James Madison High School in

Portland, OR, and a founding member

of Fund Our Future Oregon.

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What needs to be done?

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Research evidence

*This was in 2008—several more states have since added their studies

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http://www.lrs.org/data-tools/school-

libraries/impact-studies/

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http://keithcurrylance.com/

22School Librarians Must Build Support

before the crisis happens!

• Step 1 - Know Your Stakeholders

– Students, Parents, Teachers, Administrators, Community

Members, Legislators

• Step 2 - Alignment

– Align your goals with those of the stakeholders

– Use the latest research you can find

• Step 3 - Program Promotion

– Build promotional efforts around stakeholder needs

• Step 4 – Evaluation and Evidence

– Collect and analyze relevant data about programs,

resources and services

– Measure what is important to stakeholders

• Step 5 - Share Findings

– Organize and utilize the data that shows

contributions to educational goals

School Library

Program Health

and Wellness

Toolkit

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Crisis Planning when the unthinkable looms

• Define the situation

• Know your mission

• Determine a communication structure

• Identify the stakeholders

• Craft the message

• Share the message

• Get people involved

• Ask for letters of support

AASL Crisis Toolkit

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What is the problem? Among others:

http://www.iasl-

online.org/files/jan02

-hartzell.pdf

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We Need a Little Insurance!

• Protection

–But what?

http://murraylib600.org/InfluenceResearch.pdf

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We need to

present

EVIDENCE!

http://murraylib600.org/EvidenceBasedManifesto.pdf

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What does AASL say?

• Empowering Learners (2009)

– GUIDELINE: The school

library media program is

built by professionals who

model leadership and best

practice in the school

community

• ACTION: The school library

media specialist . . . uses

research to inform practice

and makes evidence-based

decisions

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Grand

research

evidence?

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Not really enough!

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http://www.longwood.edu/staff/churchap/Evidence-

Based%20Practice2006.ppt

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What kind of evidence, then?http://murraylib600.org/EvidenceBased

Manifesto.pdf

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Organized evidence about your own school library

• Action research– Action research is any systematic inquiry

conducted by teacher researchers, principals,

school counselors, or other stakeholders in the

teaching/learning environment to gather

information about how their particular schools

operate, how they teach, and how well their

students learn.

• (An excerpt from Geoffrey Mills book Action

Research) reproduced as part of Unit 1:

What is and why use action research on

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Sounds intimidating?

• It’s really quite simple!

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1. Identify the problem

From Action Research Powerpoint -

Presented at November 7, 2005 Delsea

Regional High School In-service.

(no longer available)

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What makes a good problem statement?

• State it as a question that should

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Sample questions?

• How can the library promote reading,

writing and listening skills with English-

language learners?

– “Ipods and English-Language

Learners: A Great Combination.”

Teacher Librarian 34, no. 5 (2007).

• Does collaboration with the school

librarian make a difference for the

senior research paper?

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2. Collect data

• What data?

–How are we going to measure what we’re

looking for?

• What does “make a difference” mean?

–Operationalize! See Operationalizing Variables

• “Difference” suggests a comparison

» Compare what?

» Final products?

» Compare research papers of two high school classes—

one where the librarian was involved, and one where

the classroom teacher worked alone?

» Or interview the students about their experience?

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3. Interpret data

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4. Act on evidence

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5. Evaluate results

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6. What’s next?

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Then, just as important!

• Tell ‘em about it!

http://www.schoollibrarymonthly.com/articles/Callison2007-v23n10p40.html

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Present and share!

• Ross Todd:

http://murraylib600.org/EvidenceBasedManifesto.pdf

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Example of action research

• Improving research paper

assignments:

– English teachers and the school librarian

collaborate to gather data in a

qualitative action research study that

investigates the effectiveness of an

assignment that requires primary

research methods and an essay of two

thousand words.

• Gordon, Carol. Students As Authentic

Researchers: A New Prescription for the

High School Research Assignment School

Library Media Research vol. 2, 1999

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Goals of action research

• Making things better!

– Ghaye, T. (1997). Some Reflections on the Nature of

Educational Action Research. School Libraries Worldwide,

3(2), 1-10.

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An ALA/AASL Initiative

http://www.aasl.ala.org/aaslblog/?p=3660

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Mom, school librarian, cancer survivor, reader, runner,

AASL president

Collaboration for Success!