When returning WMS materials (i.e. textbooks & LIB materials) include your NAME to properly credit your accounts! :-)

Advocacy

Recently,

Recently some of our Library Aides have done great things to get the word out on things that we think need to change.

Bring back the stripes!

One of our own library aides has come from Scotland witnessing and experiencing our very owns school's ban on plaid and flannels. She has written an article in the Library Links (go check it out for yourself under the 'Resources' tab) hoping for the school to repeal the ban on her homeland's clothing, since plaid also has deep roots in our state too (look up Palaka).

The Crosswalk

The crosswalk on King Street right before Zippy's has been blacked out. However, some lines still show. Ms. Rika, of the City and County, have seen that this look can be deceiving and very dangerous. They have made plans to completely black out the lines and fill out the dip that lead walkers off into the street.

The library has a long history of advocating for our students and users. Here are some past photos of our efforts and successes by our library aides.

Thank you all!

Termites News Story.mp4

A long time ago previous Library Aides spoke up, to get our termite- infested shelves torn out and replaced. Click on this video to see how the library really was infested!

Determined, Joan was the first library aide to send out letters for her Advocacy Project to potentially help our school.

To support the art classes Rain received a $50 gift certificate from One Shot & Graphic Art Supplies because she wrote a heart felt letter to them.

For Maria's Advocacy Project, she wanted to get more cleaning supplies for our library. She wrote a letter to Costco, and in return, received a Costco gift card for $25!

Tiffany, Andy and Jillian each wrote to City Mill and received together a $50 gift card to spend on their project needs. Our chalkboard doors and circulation desk are a result of their efforts. Our colorful book carts were also painted with donated supplies by our library aides!

Thanks to Wun Shen, our library received many games for our permanent game center.

He stated that games had the ability to bring students of different ages and abilities together.

Kathy N. (SY2013-14) sought more foreign language materials for her project.

Hakubundo donated $20,000 worth of materials in response to her letter!

This made our Japanese language teacher, Mr. Takamoto, especially REALLY happy! The excess material was shared with many other schools as well.

The real effect of budget cuts.

Susie N., advocated for the school’s library and was featured in MidWeek by Jade Moon.

Hello, my name is Susie. I’m an eighth grader at Washington Middle School. Here at Washington we are faced with budget cuts that have put a toll on the material in our library. I know this issue may sound trivial, but it actually affects our students’ education tremendously.

Susie Normandin could have written a letter asking people to donate to their library, but she didn’t. She just wants people – all of us – to know what it’s like to have a school library that can’t provide what students need.

“We don’t really have new books,” she told me when I spoke with her in person, “and most of our books are outdated.”

Susie did research to back up her assertion that failing the library is, essentially, failing the students. They need state and federal funds. Private fundraising in their neighborhood just doesn’t work.

Washington students are particularly impoverished with our school’s district area possessing an average household income of $11,000 less than the state of Hawaii’s average household income. Furthermore, 62 percent of our student body receives free or reduced cost lunch

What this means, of course, is that more than half the kids who go to Washington Middle School can’t even afford lunch money. How can their parents donate to the library?

Let’s face it: We take a lot of things for granted. I sit here tapping away on my laptop, writing about kids who do without the basics.

“Most kids come to the library to do research because most kids don’t have computers,” Susie said. “The library is where students can get all the information for their classes.”

Or rather, where they should be able to get it. The reality facing kids seeking knowledge is grim.

According to Susie’s teacher, librarian Erin Sonsona, their beautiful library doesn’t even have a budget this year. Last year they had a small budget for electronics, this year – nothing.

And think about it: Libraries need money for more than books. They need to buy computers for the many, many kids who don’t have one at home. They need money to maintain those computers and to upgrade their electrical systems to accommodate them. They need money to repair books that are damaged.

The glue and binding needed to patch up books that are falling apart are not free.

Sonsona said fees and donations, especially in low-income neighborhoods, are just not enough.

If a library, the heart of a school, has no budget for new material, then the kids attending the school are not getting the resources they need and deserve!

When times are tight, when budgets get cut, when politicians fight over which slice of the pie to give or to withhold, we should remember who suffers most.

Libraries may seem outdated to those who have other options. But to the kids who depend on them, they are essential.

With this generation being in an unstable economy, kids need more nurture, not less. In hopes of restoring and maintaining our library’s viability, I am reaching out to you.

Thanks, Susie. I want everyone to hear you. The kids need the libraries. The libraries need our help. It would be terrible to let them down.

Google Sites

Report abuse