This document discusses the threat that school libraries face from budget cuts and ways to ensure their survival. It emphasizes collecting and presenting evidence from action research to demonstrate the value of school libraries. Action research involves identifying an issue, collecting relevant data, analyzing it, acting on the evidence, evaluating results, and sharing findings. Examples show how studies of collaboration between teachers and librarians have provided evidence that this makes a positive difference in student outcomes like research papers. Presenting organized local evidence is key to building support and protecting school libraries when budget cuts loom.

1. LIB 600 Libraries and Education
Spring 2013
School libraries
under threat:
How to ensure
survival?

2. 2
Storms ahead!
 The economy is
stormy, and principals
and superintendents
are looking for ways
to save money.
 That threatens school
libraries and school
librarians, and they
are often among the
first to succumb to the
storms.

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What Could be the Result?

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Kentucky is no exception!
Formula: School library position minimum: 0.02 FTE = 20% or 1/5 position

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Another Kentucky example!

6. Other states 6

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Imagine a newly modernized school
with a built-in library/media center
— but no books to put on the shelves. Actually, you
don’t have to imagine.
Read about what’s going on with libraries in D.C.
public schools (DCPS) in this open letter to Mayor
Vincent Gray from D.C. resident and school library
advocate Peter MacPherson. He’s been fighting a
move by DCPS to cut funding for dozens of school
librarian positions.
Read MacPherson‟s letter at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-
sheet/wp/2012/10/09/school-libraries-without-books/

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From cuts . . .

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. . . to capers

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How did they do it?

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An emulation attempt that fizzled
Now a parked, unused domain:
Nancy Sullivan, a media specialist at
James Madison High School in
Portland, OR, and a founding member
of Fund Our Future Oregon.

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Preventing it
from happening

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After “it”
happens
• Crisis Planning
• State and National Support: Contacting AASL and Other
Associations
• Resources

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Research evidence

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*This was in 2008—several more states have since added their studies

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What needs to be done?

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School Librarians Must Build Support
before the crisis happens!
• Step 1 - Know Your Stakeholders
– Students, Parents, Teachers, Administrators, Community
Members, Legislators
• Step 2 - Alignment
– Align your goals with those of the stakeholders
– Use the latest research you can find
• Step 3 - Program Promotion
– Build promotional efforts around stakeholder needs
• Step 4 – Evaluation and Evidence
– Collect and analyze relevant data about programs,
resources and services
– Measure what is important to stakeholders
• Step 5 - Share Findings
– Organize and utilize the data that shows
contributions to educational goals

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Crisis Planning when the unthinkable looms
• Define the situation
• Know your mission
• Determine a communication structure
• Identify the stakeholders
• Craft the message
• Share the message
• Get people involved
• Ask for letters of support

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What is the problem? Among others:

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We Need a Little Insurance!
• Protection
–But what?

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We need to
present
EVIDENCE!

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What does AASL say?
• Empowering Learners (2009)
– GUIDELINE: The school
library media program is
built by professionals who
model leadership and best
practice in the school
community
• ACTION: The school library
media specialist . . . uses
research to inform practice
and makes evidence-based
decisions

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Grand
research
evidence?

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Not really enough!
29

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What kind of evidence, then?

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Organized evidence about your own school library
• Action research
– Action research is any systematic inquiry
conducted by teacher researchers, principals,
school counselors, or other stakeholders in the
teaching/learning environment to gather
information about how their particular schools
operate, how they teach, and how well their
students learn.
• (An excerpt from Geoffrey Mills book Action
Research) reproduced as part of Unit 1:
What is and why use action research on

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Sounds intimidating?
• It‟s really quite simple!

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1. Identify the problem
From Action Research Powerpoint -
Presented at November 7, 2005 Delsea
Regional High School In-service.
(no longer available)

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What makes a good problem statement?
• State it as a question that should

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Sample questions?
• How can the library promote reading,
writing and listening skills with English-
language learners?
– ―Ipods and English-Language
Learners: A Great Combination.‖
Teacher Librarian 34, no. 5 (2007).
• Does collaboration with the school
librarian make a difference for the
senior research paper?

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2. Collect data
• What data?
– How are we going to measure what we’re
looking for?
• What does ―make a difference‖ mean?
– Operationalize!
• ―Difference‖ suggests a comparison
» Compare what?
» Final products?
» Compare research papers of two high school classes—
one where the librarian was involved, and one where
the classroom teacher worked alone
» Or interview the students about their experience

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3. Interpret data

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4. Act on evidence

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5. Evaluate results

40. 6. What‟s next?
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• Rinse and repeat!

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Then, just as important!
• Tell „em about it!

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Present and share!
• Ross Todd:

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Example of action research
• Improving research paper
assignments:
– English teachers and the school librarian
collaborate to gather data in a
qualitative action research study that
investigates the effectiveness of an
assignment that requires primary
research methods and an essay of two
thousand words.
• Gordon, Carol. Students As Authentic
Researchers: A New Prescription for the
High School Research Assignment School
Library Media Research vol. 2, 1999

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Goals of action research
• Making things better!
– Ghaye, T. (1997). Some Reflections on the Nature of
Educational Action Research. School Libraries Worldwide,
3(2), 1-10.

45. Collaboration for Success!