Oregon Association of School Libraries Advocacy Toolkit

HOW TO USE THIS TOOLKIT:

The intention is not that you should attempt to plow through all this information at once, but that you can use the table of contents below to identify the section that most pertains to where you are in your library advocacy work right now. Are you just getting started, and planning your strategy? Looking for some hard data to support your arguments? Ready to contact your legislators? Find the section of the Toolkit that is most useful to you at this moment, then come back later when you are ready for more resources. This is a dynamic document, and will be updated regularly as we become aware of more resources to share.

Making Your Case

OAR 581-022-2250 - District Improvement Plan:"(l) “Strong school library program” means a planned effort to ensure the instruction of students, school staff, and the broader learning community in library skills, information literacy, and educational technology; such a program promotes a rich array of literacy experiences supporting life-long reading; facilitates collaboration in lesson planning and instruction; ensures equitable access to library resources and licensed school librarians; and develops and manages current, plentiful, and diverse library collections of print and electronic resources that support classroom curricula and student interests."

Advocacy Articles:

Research on the Impact of Licensed Librarians


Extensive research shows the connection between licensed school librarians, strong library programs, and student achievement. Here are some examples of that research.
This report calls for district and school leaders, policymakers, and boards of education to support, encourage, and fund the evolving role of librarians and libraries as facilitators of content creation, personalized learning, and professional development.Extensive research shows that schools that have relied on their libraries to support student growth, specifically in the areas of literacy, information literacy, technological skills, and access to resources and equipment, have seen increased motivation, higher assessment scores, and ultimately higher graduation rates.Researchers found that where schools maintained higher and more stable LMS staffing levels, the Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) data revealed higher proficiency rates.Impact Statement: Well-staffed school libraries are associated with high performance schoolsSchool libraries correlate to higher student achievementHigh performing schools have teacher-librarians working with students and teachers