B.+Why+Market+and+Advocate?

=Why Marketing and Advocacy are Important in School Libraries= Things that make you say "Hmmm. Why DO we have to advocate and market our school libraries?" The truth is that libraries have a history of being misunderstood and being targets for budget cuts. Teacher librarians have also been targets for budget cuts. All despite studies that have been repeated and have continually shown an increase in student achievement for those who have access to a properly staffed and equipped school library program. (If you would like to read more about the impact of teacher librarians and librarians, check out the [|Library Research Service] Library Research Service.)

Ever heard the saying "Don't preach to the choir"? How true that is for libraries. People who work with their teacher-librarians and use libraries regularly can explain the value of having a properly staffed library, a trained teacher-librarian, quality digital and real resources and adequate funding to make it all happen. They can explain to you the value of collaborating with a teacher-librarian or having an on-site, instructional leader who is knowledgeable about all areas of curriculum and a leader in technology. However, these are not typically the people who are making staffing decisions and cutting budgets. These are also not the people who teach in isolation. Finally, these are not the students who can give guided tours in the library or fill in for the librarian when she's out sick! It is to the people who do not view the library as the heart of the school and integral in student success that we must advocate.

Without a doubt, we want our administrators to be our friends. They are powerful allies. They rub elbows with people who are even more powerful - people we also want as allies! And if they are not our friends, they are our foes, and that is dangerous. If they do not understand the role of the teacher librarian or if they do not see the impact of a teacher librarian, you can imagine the suggestions they might make for staffing and budget cuts or for allocating school funds. It is imperative that adminstrators understand what teacher librarians do, how they contribute to student learning and how they support all school programs.
 * Administration: Friend or Foe?**

This is a short video that helps administration understand the importance of a good school library program. It allows for all staff to understand the need of the community and then work towards making the library the instructional hub of a school. By getting everyone on board, you will have more success marketing the school library.
 * School Library: Advocacy for Administrators** (7:29)

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Students are our best marketing tools. Okay, we know you don't actually perceive them as tools, in fact, they are the whole reason we do what we do. We work as hard as we do because we want our students to succeed. But the truth is, if we work with them to teach relevant skills, to develop their personal reading tastes, to teach tools they can use, to teach them to locate and use information effectively and ethically and to develop their critical thinking skills, they will share with others the many wonderful ways teacher librarians impacted their lives.
 * Students: Billboards to the World!**

The job of a teacher librarian is not all about shelving books or hiding away in a quiet, dusty corner of the library. Teacher librarians are the movers and shakers in the school. They will stop at nothing to collaborate with other staff, and have even been known to resort to trickery to make it happen. Teacher librarians model what they know. They work hard to help teachers do their jobs effecitvely and efficiently. Our colleagues need to know what we do and to value our work. They cannot do that unless they have experienced it. For school library programs to be effective, everyone, administrators, colleagues, students and community members, need to know what is available and how to access it. They need to understand the library's mission and know its value. Teacher librarians need to market and advocate to ensure this happens!
 * Colleagues and Collaboration**