SEIZE THE DAY:Teacher librarian advocacy

in 2015

P r e s e n t e d b y :

H o l l y G o d f r e e a n d O l i v i a N e i l s o n

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The wider context

Australian School Library Association Inc.

Tough times for libraries

TL numbers dwindling

Our data shows: Government schools Catholic schools Independent schools

Why?

Image taken by Evelyn Simak, 2008. Retrieved from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Decaying_tree_trunk_-_geograph.org.uk_-_668471.jpgUsed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 license.

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Possible reasons for decline

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“Everything” is online

Classroom teachers teach information literacy now

Teachers find own resources

Digital Natives

TL is expensive luxury

Technician, IT manager or exec can run library

Libraries and TLs = old fashioned

School autonomy

You Have a Choice

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Do Nothing Do Something

http://pixabay.com/en/words-letters-disillusionment-416435/ http://pixabay.com/en/act-do-text-make-tackle-implement-398462/

Are we irrelevant?

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Must reflect . . .

Am I useful?

Is the library collection useful?

Am I relevant?

Am I proactive?

Am I visible? Stereotypes have a grain of truth

1 . I N F O R M A T I O N L I T E R A C Y

2 . S T U D E N T L E A R N I N G O U T C O M E S

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Two-Pronged Attack

Try these counter-arguments

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Everything is online -> Not trustworthy Hard to find Written for adults ‘Digital Native’ = Myth

Teachers do Info Lit – in the curriculum -> Most teachers not info literate

TL is a luxury we can’t afford -> Music/PE improve student

learning -> Search strategies, website

evaluation, note taking, bibliographies, cyber-safety are necessities, not luxuries

Can get cheaper staff -> Emphasise our uniqueness –

What do we offer that they can’t?

Libraries are old-fashioned -> Healthy balance between old & new Research-based arguments

eg. printed book sales, screens & sleep, handwriting notes, reading speeds

iCentre – Lyn Hay

TL swapped for IT specialist -> IT = specific tools TL = transferrable skills With BYOT, schools should be

teaching PROCESS not tools

Q U E S T I O N S ?

C O M M E N T S ?

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Pause . . .

Local advocacy: Teachers

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Teachers’ hot button : Be proactive

Ensure resources are easily accessible

Make their life EASIER

Help with marking Info Lit skills in assignments

Workload!

Local advocacy: Parents

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Have reading suggestions at your fingertips

Contribute to the newsletter Searching online Evaluating websites Plagiarism Cyber safety

Create opportunities for parents to engage Learning journeys Parent workshops

Parents’ hot button :

Theirchild’sfuture

Local advocacy: Principals

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InnovationWe could be leaders and

gain renown.

CompetitionAll the other schools are

doing it.

Principals’ hot buttons:

Build your credibility

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Contribute an article to a professional publication

Share your knowledge as professional learning

Present at a conference

Bust loose from the TL sphere!

Local advocacy: Marketing Theory

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Basic marketing theory:

Start with your clients

Adjust message to audience

Target your market

Go with who’s keen

Demonstrate value

Evidence! Data!

Grow your network

Build relationships

(Cook 2015)

Walk in their shoes

Image by Chapendra, 2008. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/chaparral/2809597522/Used under Creative Commons License 2.0.

Local advocacy: Marketing Theory

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Advertising should:

Attract attention

Induce interest

Develop a desire to buy

Activate the sale

(Smith n.d.)

Local advocacy: Easy Actions

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Some easy ideas:

Put the library tagline on all resources created by you

Gather data and share results

Action research – within school or cross-school data collection

The timetable ‘box’

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Fortnightly lessons for longer blocks of time?

Share articles with principal about value of team teaching

Sacrifice a bit of your admin time

Team with a willing teacher

Gather and share data from results

Ask for more time next year

Q U E S T I O N S ?

C O M M E N T S ?

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Pause . . .

Bigger political scene

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Components of Success

One “Driver”

Lead Group (2-4)

Role of Anger

Professional Organisations *Key*

Community of TLs

Meeting in Person

Setting Goals

Incidental advocacy moments

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Be on the alert for any opportunity…

…no matter where you are!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cyclists_at_red_2.jpg

Final Thought

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Think Big, Start Small

Image taken by Mathias Erhart, 2008. ‘A place where fairy tales can happen’. https://www.flickr.com/photos/mathias-erhart/2738327859/ (CC BY-SA 2.0)

W H A T W I L L Y O U T A K E A W A Y ?

Q U E S T I O N S ?

C O M M E N T S ?

W H E R E W I L L Y O U S T A R T ?

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Final Check In. . .

References

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Australian Council for Educational Research. 2015. Journals – Cunningham Library. Accessed 24th March 2015 from http://www.acer.edu.au/library/journals

Bonanno, 2011. Seven Successful Strategies to Develop Your Advocacy Toolkit. Connections, Issue 78. Accessed 24th March from http://www2.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/Connections78.pdf

Chapendra, 2008. I’d Walk A Mile [Day 242]. Retrieved 21st March 2015, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/chaparral/2809597522/

Cook, C. 2015. The Five Fundamental Principles of Small Business Marketing. Accessed 21st March 2015 from http://www.marketingforsuccess.com/marketing-plan/fundamental-principles/

Godfree, H. & Neilson, O. 2014. We Are the Weather Makers. Access, v. 28 (2), June 2014, pp.14 – 23.http://www.asla.org.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/weather_makers_logo.pdf

Godfree, H. & Neilson, O. 2013. We Are the Weather Makers: Advocacy in action (conference presentation).http://www.slideshare.net/ASLAonline/we-are-the-weather-makers-advocacy-in-action

Hay, L. 2010. Shift happens: It’s time to rethink, rebuild and rebrand [online version]. Access, v. 24 (4). http://www.asla.org.au/publications/access/access-commentaries/shift-happens.aspx

Sheerman, A. 2015. TL’s working with Principals: collaborative teaching and learning starts at the top [webinar], presented 4th

February 2015.

Simak, E. 2008. Decaying Tree Trunk. Retrieved 21st March 2015, from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Decaying_tree_trunk_-_geograph.org.uk_-_668471.jpg

Smith, M. [n.d.] Basic Marketing Principles. Accessed 21st March 2015, from http://faculty.mercer.edu/jackson_r/Ownership/chap19.pdf

Additional information

Australian School Library Association Inc.

The PowerPoint presentation will be available athttp://www.slideshare.net/ASLAonline

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

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

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

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