Washington Schools Need Teacher Librarians Campaign Resources

Advocacy

"What a school thinks about its library is a measure of what it thinks about education."
~ Harold Howe, former U.S. Commissioner of Education

Teacher Librarians approach advocacy in many ways. We advocate for our students and their right to choose their own reading material. We advocate for our collections and school library programs by sharing our value with local stakeholders. We also advocate at the state level to increase student access to high-quality school library programs supported by qualified teacher librarians and dedicated paraprofessionals. Advocacy is not just a once-a-year event in Olympia; rather, it incorporates what we do every day in our individual libraries that provides benefit to the students, teachers, and families we serve.

Teacher-Librarian Advocacy Toolkit

WSSLIT: WA State School Library and Info Tech Study & Data

Legislative Updates and Archives

Other Resources

Advocacy Tips

To mount an effective advocacy campaign you must have an action plan with a clear goal.
Identify the target audience you wish to influence
Know your intended audience: What do they want? What is important to them?
Define your key message
Focus on whole document or focus on one or more issues
Select the most appropriate strategy to gain the respect of your audience and enable you to get the message across
Collect evidence to support your message

*National evidence
*Local evidence and arguments

Make time to assess the progress/impact of your campaign

For more info, view our LIT Framework and this document explaining the three essential functions of a teacher-librarian.

To view this video in full-screen, please click here.