School library advocacy
Can we learn something from marketing?
Internet marketing is changing the way businesses “do business”.
As consumers engage in using the Internet, the traditional ways of marketing are losing ground.
“New marketing is any marketing tactic that relies on earning people’s interest instead of buying it.”
Consider these points for the new marketing approach:
- two-way communication and interaction
- people find you via search engines, social media, referrals, word of mouth
- the marketer provides value
- the marketer seeks to entertain and/or educate.
The new term is “inbound marketing”. Some of the most effective marketing methods include content marketing and social media.
Check out this infographic from Voltier Digital. It highlights the differences between the two kinds of marketing.
Consider how you could use content and social media to raise your profile.
Inbound Marketing vs. Outbound Marketing
Scooped up
Curating a topic can be as easy as Scoop.it
Here is my first dive into the curating environment with School Library Advocacy
Other topics I follow include:
Digital Citizenship in Schools by Judy O’Connell
SCIS (Schools Cataloguing Information Service) by SCIS
Social Networking for Information Professionals by Judy O’Connell
Student Learning Through School Libraries by Lyn Hay
Check out Joyce Valenza’s post, ‘A few good scoops for us’ where she has categorised a whole set of curated sites.
Washington Library Media Association Conference
I’ve been invited to present on “Lessons from Down Under: 7 Effective Strategies for Library Advocacy” at the WLMA Annual Conference in Spokane, WA, USA — 13 to 15 October.
The magic part is I will be staying right here at home and connecting in through my webinar environment. No long haul flights, jet lag, time away living out of a suitcase. How sweet is that?
The program has a number of webinars so you might want to check out the concurrent workshops.
My scheduled time to connect in for the presentation is on Saturday morning, 15 October, so it is a reasonable hour if you want to join in.
[24 hours later]
P.S. Missed the event?
P.P.S. Here is the PowerPoint…
A profession at the tipping point
Just returned from the Australian School Library Association (ASLA) Biennial Conference where I presented a keynote session — A profession at the tipping point: time to change the game plan
Abstract: The nationalisation of K-12 education in Australia has the potential to have a Jupiter Effect (prediction that an alignment of the planets would create a number of catastrophes) on school libraries and the profession. Government-driven initiatives and projects herald an education ‘two-speed economy’ for teacher librarians – boom or bust. The report, School libraries and teacher librarians in 21st century Australia, and data from 386 submissions and 13 public hearings provide sufficient evidence that school libraries and teacher librarianship are at a tipping point. This address will present a view on the impact of the nationalisation of K-12 education and explore strategic directions for the profession and school libraries. What will be the future if you do not take charge of your own siesmic shift?
More about the conference program at http://www.asla.org.au/pd/conference/program.htm
ASLA 2011. Karen Bonanno, Keynote speaker: A profession at the tipping point: Time to change the game plan from CSU-SIS Learning Centre on Vimeo.
History can’t be wrong!
Today’s blog post was sent to me by Dr Marc Dussault, The Exponential Growth Strategist. It’s an Infographic taken from DailyInfographic.com.
Future focus for Australian school libraries
Well, what a week it has been here in Australia.
On Monday, the Chair of the House Standing Committee on Education and Employment tabled the report from the Inquiry into School Libraries and Teacher Librarians in Australian Schools — School libraries and teacher librarians in 21st century Australia. It has been a long journey since March 2010 to reach this point.
The Committee has presented 11 recommendations for debate by the House of Parliament and we now enter into a three to six month response time.
In response to the release of the report I have been working with the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and the Australian School Library Association (ASLA) to create a wiki and a Facebook page to enable parents, students, teachers, and everyone else who is concerned about the state of school libraries, to find out more information about this highly topical issue and to join in the discussion. I encourage you to share the wiki and the Facebook page with your colleagues, your family (every parent should be interested in this topic), your friends and anyone who is interested in school libraries.
I’d also encourage you to revisit the series of blog posts on school library advocacy and to revisit the webinar presentation on 7 successful strategies to develop your advocacy toolkit.
Advocacy – leverage the network
Strategy 7: Leverage the network
This strategy connects well with strategy 6 – massage the media.
The list of media exposure opportunities listed under strategy 6 help you to link to the professional network, so you are never alone. For example, you can connect into the collective wisdom of professional associations who have information available to help you with your advocacy efforts. Consider checking out some of the following:
ASLA Advocacy page and ALIA Advocacy page
CSLA Toolkit for Advocacy and Action
IFLA School Library Advocacy Kit
Also, don’t be afraid to leverage the social network – Twitter, Facebook, Ning,LinkedIn, etc. Your message needs to go viral. Identify those who share your goals and those who are willing to support your efforts, and then make the connections.
If you have any other professional networks that you tap into for advocacy ideas and support, please let me know. It would be great to provide access to a comprehensive list so that we really do not have to feel that we are doing this alone.
Advocacy – massage the media
Strategy 6: Massage the media
Newsworthy events and photo opportunities are all around us. For example:
- Author visits
- Special events such as Book Week
- New lunchtime activities in the school library
- Displays of resources or student work
- New library or different layout
Your media might be the school newsletter or the school library wiki. Make the most of whatever communication channels that are available to you.
When preparing the story ask yourself the questions – Why do I care? Why should anybody care? This will help you to focus on the key message. Your story might provide a list of benefits, solve a problem, outline easy steps to achieve a task, or simply inspire teachers, students and parents.
If you are wanting to get outside media coverage then it is best to check with your school administration as to the correct protocols. The same newsworthy events and photo opportunities could be of interest to your local community and a way of promoting the school and the library.
If you are not sure what events and activities to incorporate in your media exposure then take a look at the following:
- EdNA school events calendar – The calendar includes significant Australian and international days, weeks, years and decades, as well as other events related to celebrations, health, education, training, careers, culture and sport.
- Safer Internet Day (February)
- Library Lovers Day (14 February)
- Library & Information Week (May)
- National Simultaneous Storytime (May)
- Children’s Book Council of Australia Book Week (August)
- National Year of Reading 2012
If you have used other ways to capture and share newsworthy events for your school library then please leave a comment.
Advocacy – remarkable stories
Strategy 5: Find remarkable stories
Stories are a magic way to support a key message. Storytelling is traditionally the way to pass on important information from generation to generation. Stories can be told in words, images and sounds.
The combination of words, images and sounds through video is an extremely powerful way to convey a key message. Doron Isaacs, Equal Education Coordinator, is interviewed on the “One School, One Library, One Librarian” campaign.
There are quite a number of YouTube videos that support this South African campaign with many students and young people featuring in the stories.
Joe McHugh and Connie Williams, in cooperation with the California School Library Association, collected stories and published them in an audio journal – http://www.csla.net/audio/
Capturing the “student voice” is an absolute must. The findings from the Student Learning through Ohio School Libraries Research Project provide you with access to samples of qualitative responses and additional comments by the students.
The replication of the research in Australian schools, Student Learning through Australian School Libraries project, provides samples of comments by students on the following:
- The library as place
- Access to school library facilities
- Provision of extended hours
- The school library as central to resource-based and inquiry learning
- Students value help finding quality information
- Importance of the teacher-librarian’s instructional intervention
- The school library supporting knowledge construction
- The school library as production facility
- The school library’s contribution to student academic achievement
- The school library building student confidence
- The school library as learning laboratories
The remarkable stories usually take on the style of writing of “once I was lost…now I am found”.
Advocacy – source quotable quotes
Strategy 4: Source quotable quotes
The use of a quote can have a significant impact on the reader. It can leave them with something substantial to think about. You can use a quote to add to your email signature, fill a space in a newsletter, post on a blog or tweet, use as the opening statement for an article….or on a T-shirt like the quote immediately below.
“Cutting libraries during a recession is like cutting hospitals during a plague” – Eleanor Crumblehulme. This one became the slogan on a T-shirt – http://www.cafepress.ca/soullesstees.440929848
On 20th December 2010, the Business Plan for the Australian National Broadband Network was released. Professor Paddy Nixon, Digital Futures Advisory Council , during The 7.30 Report interview, stated, “Digital literacy, in its broadest sense, is now as important as being able to read and write and to do your sums”. [Broadband business plan - http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2010/s3097939.htm]
“A library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life”. – Henry Ward Beecher
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/henrywardb383333.html
Here are some web sites to visit to capture library quotes:
Famous Library Quotes and Quotations
It is also appreciated when those in government positions make positive statements - For example, with the announcement of the Australian House of Representatives Inquiry into School Libraries and Teacher Librarians in Australian Schools on 18 March 2010, the committee chair, Ms Sharon Bird, MP, stated “Teacher librarians make a significant contribution to the school community in a number of ways, including teaching information literacy skills and providing access to information and resources to facilitate learning”.
http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/edt/schoollibraries/media.htm
With the relaunch of the inquiry, following the outcome of the federal elections, the new committee chair, Ms Amanda Rishworth, MP, stated, “Teacher librarians make a significant contribution in our schools and we look forward to sharing our findings on how to enhance this valuable community resource.” (House of Representatives – Email alert service, Thursday 25 November 2010)
What’s your favourite quotable quote? Has a student or teacher made a statement that has really stuck in your mind?
ATTENTION teacher librarians
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school librarians
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