Light my fire: Advocacy for school libraries

LIGHT MY FIREA D V O C A C Y F O R S C H O O L L I B R A R I E S

P R E S E N T E D B Y

I S O B E L W I L L I A M S

P R E S I D E N T , A S L A

Australian School Library Association Inc.

Housekeeping


Sue Johnston

Facilitator for this webinar

Housekeeping:

Listen-only mode

Attendee control panel

Question facility

Post-webinar information

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Introduction


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Isobel Williams

Currently ASLA President, teacher librarian and Year 7 Science teacher at Ogilvie High School in Hobart

[email protected]

MOOC


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Library Advocacy Unshushed - University of Toronto


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Libraries make a difference

Libraries are transformative

Eight foundational values


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Intellectual freedom

Privacy

Literacy

Rationalism

Stewardship

Equity

Democracy

Service

Risks to libraries


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Funding squeezes

Image - Only providers of information and lenders of books and videos

People are confident that they find their own information on the Internet.

Questions about the relevance of libraries

Untrained volunteers can replace the staff.

Slogans


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Heart of the school

Every student succeeds @ your library

It’s all @ your library

Get a fresh start-it’s all @ your library

Books, technology and help-it’s all @ your library

E-Z term paper.com-it’s all @ your library

School Libraries Combat Plagiarism

Libraries = Information Literacy

Question authority. Ask a librarian

Advocacy – what it is – and isn’t


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Promotion Who we are and what we do

Marketing Asking what do members want

Lobbying Influencing those in government and those who advise them


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Advocacy influence those who make decisions

Advocacy


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Advocacy is not a short-term protest activity,

but a long-term process of building

relationships and understandings

Perceptions


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It is almost impossible to

succeed in advocating for

unresponsive or ineffective libraries

Australian numbers


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Tasmania - 256,000 visits a month

Australia – 9,000,000 visits a month

1 librarian per 10,000 population

1.8 library material per person

27% Tasmanians are members

The direct benefit to users is perceived to be many times that of the actual investment in the service.

Missingham, R 2005,


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People love libraries People value libraries Libraries are seen as essential to the

community Libraries are relatively invisible to decision

makers

From awareness to funding OCLC 2008

Brand


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What we do


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Story time = “reading readiness program”

Bibliography lesson = “ethical information use”

Note taking lesson = “prepare for college”

Validate information = “critical thinking”

Role of libraries


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Most people support libraries

Most people don’t know much about the library

Library support is not related to use


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Decision Makers - Influencers


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Decision makers

Influencers

Making Decisions


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Are not rational

Facts don’t convince

Past experiences

Values and beliefs

Relationship

Priorities

Influence and persuasion


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Reciprocation


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Commitment and consistency


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Consensus


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Authority


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Approachable


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Scarcity

We need to be


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Well connected

Informed about what we do

Have stories about the effect on students / teachers

Know what matters to principals and their influencers

Establish relationships with them

Be approachable

The Power of the Story


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Who?


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Grassroots

Senior management

State level

Barriers


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Too much to do

Someone else should do it

We are entitled to support

Fear

Avoidance

Protest and demonization

Hopelessness

Confidence


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No advocacy strategy can compensate for a poor

experience with actual libraries

Values position


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State the value of the library to your community

Explain the benefits

Explain the uniqueness

Create a story


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Can this effectively create a library brand?

Is this showing the library as transformational?

Will the message resonate with target audiences?

Does the idea make people to see the library differently?

Is the idea compelling and motivating?

Is the tone of voice appropriate for the library brand?


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Match to audience

Segmentation

Principals

Teachers

Senior teachers

School executive officers

Business managers

Parents on School council/ parent association

Alumni

Who else??


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Post-webinar information


Resource list and certificate of attendancewill be emailed

Membership information is available athttp://www.asla.org.au/membership.aspx

Future Webinars http://www.asla.org.au/Professional-learning/webinars.aspx

Follow ASLA on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/aslanational

Like us on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/ASLAOnline

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http://www.asla.org.au/membership.aspx

http://www.asla.org.au/Professional-learning/webinars.aspx

https://twitter.com/aslanational

https://www.facebook.com/ASLAOnline

Light my fire: Advocacy for school libraries

Education

Transcript of Light my fire: Advocacy for school libraries