Advocacy
Demonstrate advocacy
Use research and educational policy to advocate for the library to a variety of audiences.
Advocacy for your school library must go beyond your campus. It is important to connect with other teacher-librarians as collective advocacy can be the true catalyst for change. The school librarian can advocate for collection development, resources, funding and can collaborate with various stakeholders and community members. The teacher - librarian can work directly with youth for programming, can connect with board members and legislators to impact the future of libraries. The following demonstrates:
Develop a variety of relationships to advocate for their youth and library program
Description of evidence: Letter for Associated Student Body President collaboration to reopen the library after its closure in November. Roselyn describes the steps she took in conjunction with the seniors to reopen.
The video was a promotion done for the Jaguar News Network, promoting the Library Lunch Club. I was interviewed along with our ASB President, Roselyn Ayala about the lunch club and the activities offered for our Jags. Footage begins at 4:25 on the video.
Connection to Standard: Advocacy occurring within the school community is a cornerstone for the development of relationships that create opportunities for leadership. Students advocated for themselves to reopen and took many steps to create that opportunity. This was a new connection for me to work with the Associated Student Body.
Participates in advocacy activities such as letters to legislators and school board members
Description of Evidence: The letter to Assembly Member Jesse Gabriel was a request to support AB 535 as it secures the future of school libraries by electing a county office applicant to "Statewide School Library Lead to work collaboratively with the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence and to establish library and literacy services that support the statewide system of support."
Connection to Standards: Advocacy by the school librarian plays an important role within the larger society as a whole.
Description of evidence: The letter shows advocacy for students as all subscriptions for databases were unilaterally cancelled until further notice by the Los Angeles Unified School District on April 10th, 2023.
Connection to Standard: The relationships the teacher librarian builds with policy makers at the District Level supports students in the entire district. It is imperative we demonstrate to leadership the power of the instructional materials required for research which are the databases.
Develops relationships with decision makers
Description of Evidence: A meeting was requested to establish Library Practice classes for the coming school year. The memo was reviewed with the administration. Library Practice is an uncommon practice at Fulton College Prep. The former librarian worked with service students and not Library Practice. Ms. Merritt has directed me to present the new elective for next year to 11-grade homerooms before the end of the semester.
Connection to Standards: Teacher Librarians are expected to provide instruction because the are teachers. By teaching a Library Practice course, we provide an infrastructure to the library itself by having support for multiple tasks and practices.