School Library PR: Make Your Library the Vital Link

Rachel Shankles, LMSLakeside High School

Hot Springs, AR

Why do PR?

• The library is a key player in the ARK literacy push

• We don’t want to be replaced by a computer lab or clerk

• We want more funding• We have frameworks• We have new “stuff” and we want everyone

to come in to see it

AR Literacy Push• All schools are trying to raise literacy scores on

mandated testing• We can find out the SLE’s that our schools will

be focusing on and make sure we hit those in our teaching units with those grade levels

• We should be the ‘center of the curriculum’• We have changed from just research libraries

into lit lab libraries that push pleasure reading• Intrinsic motivation to read for pleasure raises

test scores more than more traditional methods

We don’t want to be replaced by a computer lab or clerk

• Flat World Corporation• No one on your staff should think the Internet is

the be-all and end-all of research or they will think computers are more important than books

• Establish research strategies and policies to insure the use of books then databases then internet for research

• Establish Research Policies for your school• Be too busy to be pulled out for other duties

Funding• If you have weeded, weeded, weeded---you need new

books---the school will not take a hit if you go below the mandate—they will buy you more books---so don’t worry—do WEED

• Money goes further if you invest in paperbacks too (the kids want to see colorful covers)

• Quit buying reference books, use online databases (purchase more but not necessisarily with your budget if they are for curriculum reasons)

• Use empty shelves for displaying books on book easels, face out

• PR means the public will be aware of your programming and should increase your chances for grants and donations

• Get teaching staff, admin and parents involved with library programming and take pictures

Frameworks• If we are busy with programming and teaching real state

ADE frameworks, we can’t be pulled out to do bus duty or to substitute

• This year we are to work on pacing guides for our frameworks

• Collaborate to insure the frameworks are taught• If a teacher won’t bring a class in for you to teach the

frameworks, do report it to the principal as the school is responsible for all the frameworks being taught---if he or she will not let YOU teach the library media frameworks then he or she will have to teach them to the class

• See my wiki for frameworks information

Bookmark my wiki

http://aaimlibrarywiki.wikispaces.comIt is full of all sorts of PowerPoints, handouts, programming ideas, events, costumes, funding ideas.

Has your library changed?

• You should have added comfortable seating• Reading areas• Updated technology• Updated, modern bookstore “look”• You should be decorating by theme or event

even if in high schools• You should be inviting guest speakers and doing

programming that has to do with your school curriculum (do these programs IN THE LIBRARY)

PR Essestials1. A digital still camera for YOUR use

exclusively:• Make photos to put in a scrapbook to hang

on wall , month to month• Make a PhotoStory to share with your boss

when you are evaluated; it will show how busy you have been

• Take teacher pix to use on bulletin boards and displays

PR Essentials (cont’d)

2. Get the email address of the education editor of your local paper;

• Send in photos every week of your events, contest winners, etc.

• Call the newspaper to attend biggest events or to do a story when you receive a grant or something

• Use the news staff to judge photo competitions

PR Essentials (cont’d)

Attend conferences :• You are the only staff member that can come

back and teach the whole staff what you learn so you should be allowed to attend more than one conference; you may have to convince them of that

• You learn how to manage Internet, use databases that meet the curriculum----attending workshops will help you become the school’s “information expert”

Conferences to Attend

• ArLA- in Rodgers this fall• AAIM- in Rodgers this spring• AASL- recently in Eureka Spgs• HSTI – each June in Hot Springs

Your education cooperative should be sponsoring media specialist workshops each semester where you could learn more about the Traveler Project and other free materials

CHEERLEADERS WANTED• Pay scale not great• Time investment more than 8 to 3 M-F• Foot traffic exceeds normal levels• Noise level exceeds minimum• Rewards: GREATThe new Arkansas Literacy Push Wants YOU to

come on board! You are the key to making the library the “center of your school’s curriculum.”

Contact me:

Rachel ShanklesLakeside High School501-262-1530Rachel_Shankles@LS1.dsc.k12.ar.us501-624-7138 homeshankles@cablelynx.com