Advocacy Resources

The time to advocate for your library is before you face budget or program cuts. These resources are designed to support school librarians’ proactive efforts to keep your effective school library program whole, and growing. Many of the resources are shared from the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) advocacy website. AASL is a division of the American Library Association. Used with permission.

Let’s Promote Libraries

The TASL Legislative & Advocacy Committee began the “Let’s Promote Libraries!” campaign in 2017 to encourage school librarians to promote themselves, their programs, and their instruction proactively to our stakeholders. This social media campaign encouraged school librarians to show what happened in their school libraries each month in relation to the Texas Library Standards.

This year the campaign will focus on specific stakeholders each month and show those stakeholders specific ways their school librarian is important.  Join us on the 1st of each month by personalizing a message and posting to whichever platform works best for your stakeholders. Let’s promote libraries!

Click here for Did You know? Template Link

School Library Program Standards 2018

Revised and adopted by the Texas State Library and Archives Commissioners on March 9, 2018. The revised standards establish guidelines for school library programs at five levels: distinguished, accomplished, proficient, developing, and improvement needed. Supplemental Resources are being developed and will be posted on the TSLAC website when completed.

Download the standards

School Administrator’s Toolkit

From interview questions to checklists for posting job descriptions, to strategies for creating a vibrant school library program, this tool kit offers a wealth of resources. It is designed for school administrators and HR departments to better inform them when hiring and retaining library personnel.

School Administrator’s Toolkit

Quality Education for All Learners

• Administrators & School Librarians Partnering for Student Success
• Parents & School Librarians Partnering for Student Success
• Teachers & School Librarians Partnering for Student Success

TLA Webinar Recordings

• School Libraries: Rallying Supporters & Empowering Friends
• School Libraries: Reaching & Talking to Local Decision Makers

Parent Resources

• 10 Reasons to Visit and Use Your School Library (flier)
• 10 Reasons to Visit and Use Your School Library (customizable flier)

TLA/TASL Position Statements

• Statement on School Librarian Certification Requirements – State Board for Educator Certification
• TLA Comments on Draft Consolidated State Plan for ESSA Implementation – Texas Education Agency

AASL Toolkits

Has your school eliminated the librarian, closed the library? Are you concerned that the school library on your campus is not adequately supported? Do you want to prevent that possibility?

• AASL Toolkit for Promoting School Library Programs
• AASL Crisis Toolkit
• AASL School Library Program Health and Wellness Toolkit
  The time to deal with library programs cuts is before they happen or before they are even a possibility. This toolkit provides resources to help you build stakeholder support and true advocacy. It supports your proactive efforts to keep your library program healthy as you work to build the program and to prevent cuts.
• Parent Advocacy Toolkit
  How can you help your child succeed in this changing global economy where many of us are deeply concerned that the United States is not preparing our young people with the skills they need to compete?

Other Resources

• Highly Effective School Library Program Rubric (Colorado)
• Why Schools Need School Librarians (BagTheWeb, Donna Baumbach)
• School Library Advocacy on Pinterest (Sara Kelly Johns)
• School Library Advocacy on ScoopIt (Karen Bonnano)