100 Interesting Ways to

Advocate for School

Libraries

or perhaps a few….

#1

Slipping things into people’s mailboxes.Listening to people’s conversations.

#2

Be the “just in time” person.

#3

Be nosy.

#4

Bribery.Take the English Dept. out to buy books.This’ll make them happy.

#5

Put a different spin on it.Advocate for the students, not “you”.

#6

Share the success at a staff meeting.(e.g. the tale of a difficult kid finding a great book in the library)

#7

Find out what someone else wants and piggy back on it. Show how the library program can help them achieve what they want.

#8

Look at our value. We have connections to every curriculum area.

#9

Train others to do the advocating for you.

#10

Host everything.Be a museum, funeral, art gallery ...

#11

Data may be scary but can work in our benefit. Collect current Canadian action research showing how TLs lead to student success.

#12

Quantify the quality work

#13

Make data collection relevant and align with school plan

#14

Quantify the lunch time patrons. e.g. student volunteers collecting stats on what students are doing in the library

#15

Technological proficiency.Be the go-to tech person, to show how it works, etc.

#16

Be the human hub and model the change.

#17

Don’t be a classroom refugee.Library is not a place to hide bad teachers.

#18

Get invited to the table - somehow.Even if it means bringing snacks.

#19

Make it welcoming.e.g. allow kids to bring in their backpacks to the library

#20

Get a library camera.Take good quality pictures often.

#21

Instead of a long written report, why not give a Prezi with visuals or an infographic?

#22

Use Twitter.The parents follow.

#23

Do part of your principal’s job for them.Come up with SMART goals for their SIP plan.Protect your problem.

#24

On a flat screen TV, have a USB key and show images / highlights from library.

#25

During Parent-Teacher interview night, share with parents what we do in the library.Hold the book fair, in elementary.Hold the interviews in the library, in secondary.

#26

Offer a story time for the kindies with parents to help alleviate their school-starting anxiety. The library is a friendly, welcoming place where you can get info on eye screening, snowsuit sales, etc.

#27

Use the library webpage.It’s working for you, 24-7.Keep it relevant.Teach through the webpage.