[CASL-L] Fwd: [aaslforum] Wall Street Journal opinion piece: Let Parent Volunteers Replace School Librarians

[Beecher, Louise]

We can't just write a letter defending ourselves and our credentials - It will be dismissed as the self-interested defending their interests.

I used to be a newspaper reporter and I can tell you from experience that the way to win hearts and minds is not to tell readers that volunteers could not replace librarians, but to lay out the facts that make them conclude "OMG, I couldn't do that job. I did not realize there was so much to it.".

Go ahead and write the letter defending the profession, but then arrange to send at least two others.

1. The Chicago mom envisioned school librarianship as checking out and shelving books.

Solution: Have an elementary school teacher who have a fixed schedule of classes provide an hour-by-hour schedule of his/her day.


2. Chicago mom thinks volunteers would fill the gap.

Write a letter detailing the kinds of responsibilities volunteers would have to take on.

Who will set up the schedule and see that it is adhered to - example, will there be anyone to fill in when Mrs. G. calls in to say she will not be in because her daughter Amanda is sick at home? Or just does not who up at all?

How do you vet volunteers? Not everyone, however well-meaning, has the temperament to work with students. What happens when Mrs. A tries to discipline the son of Mrs. B? How would volunteers go about trying to get all the books back by the end of the year?

How many volunteers have the time and expertise to conduct an end-of-the year inventory?

Book collections become old. What volunteer would have the responsibility of constantly keeping up with book reviews and seeing that "must buys" are obtained? Of replacing books that have gone missing (especially important for series - if the first book is gone, the rest is useless.)  Who does weeding? 

Donated books do not simply put themselves on the shelf. Do any of your volunteers know how to do copy cataloging? Who would order the barcodes? The plastic to cover paperbacks, the book jackets for the hardbacks? Who would print out the Call Numbers? Who would be in charge of teaching the volunteers what a Call Number is?

3. Chicago mom thinks volunteers would fill the gap.

Volunteers available during the school day are either stay-at-home moms. Even in middle to upper class communities the stay-at-home-mom is a fast disappearing commodity. They are practically non-existent in lower-income communities. 

Saying "let volunteers do it" completely ignores this reality.


 

I would be happy to put together/edit a letter or letters if you wish.

Louise Beecher
Librarian

"A democratic society depends upon an informed and educated citizenry."

Thomas Jefferson


________________________________________
From: CASL-L [casl-l-bounces at mylist.net] on behalf of Kathleen Smith [ksmith at ledyard.net]
Sent: Monday, January 9, 2017 8:52 AM
To: Ava Biffer
Cc: CASL GROUP LIST; Hansen, Eric A; Shelley Stedman; shannonmcclintockmiller at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [CASL-L] Fwd: [aaslforum] Wall Street Journal opinion piece: Let Parent Volunteers Replace School Librarians

​I also saw on FB in the School Librarian Workshop Group.
I think a united letter that we all sign might be effective.  What would be the best tool?  A change.org<http://change.org> kind of a site???  Ideas?  I would be happy to help with the response....someone want to work with me on a Google Doc??​

Kathleen Currie Smith
Library Media Specialist
Ledyard High School & Ledyard Middle School
ksmith at ledyard.net<mailto:ksmith at ledyard.net>
860.464.9600 x6154

[https://docs.google.com/a/ledyard.net/uc?id=0B53oS1t7pzmBcFI1RmJRb1lqVERKVkVLbm1OblBBZVVKa2JV&export=download]<https://about.me/kcurriesmith>   [https://docs.google.com/a/ledyard.net/uc?id=0B53oS1t7pzmBTUgxYU84UENxVjBlOTFTMWU0Z2xGTmU1Zllv&export=download] <https://www.pinterest.com/colonelslibrary/>    [https://docs.google.com/a/ledyard.net/uc?id=0B53oS1t7pzmBSnBvd3AwN0N5VGV4MzBtcTlzOHdKOWttXzhz&export=download] <http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/32646735-kathleen-currie-smith>
_________________________________________

[https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=0B53oS1t7pzmBcEk3dWpqODVtOFE&revid=0B53oS1t7pzmBSVRrQW1Bd0VQYXAyYjBIelpyei9HbjMxTkZBPQ]<http://lhs.ledyard.libguides.com/home>[https://docs.google.com/a/ledyard.net/uc?id=0B53oS1t7pzmBSmpkb0hYcnhTQV9BRWVfalRDTGF3OG5iRlBn&export=download]<https://www.instagram.com/colonelslibrary/>  [https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=0B53oS1t7pzmBUnpkNFp0REhZaE0&revid=0B53oS1t7pzmBdzVSZHRoM3ZRM1VUOG0zc2xYcGtMODVKTVpZPQ] [https://docs.google.com/a/ledyard.net/uc?id=0B53oS1t7pzmBSmpkb0hYcnhTQV9BRWVfalRDTGF3OG5iRlBn&export=download] <https://www.instagram.com/lmslibrary/>
_________________________________________
Currently Reading<https://www.goodreads.com/user/email_signature_destination/32646735?utm_medium=reading_link&utm_source=email_signature>
[Book Cover]<https://www.goodreads.com/user/email_signature_destination/32646735?utm_medium=cover&utm_source=email_signature>
[Goodreads Logo] <https://www.goodreads.com/?utm_medium=gr_logo&utm_source=email_signature> Get your own email signature<https://www.goodreads.com/user/email_signature_instructions?utm_medium=gyo_link&utm_source=email_signature>








On Mon, Jan 9, 2017 at 8:47 AM, Ava Biffer <ava.biffer at easthaddamschools.org<mailto:ava.biffer at easthaddamschools.org>> wrote:

I think we should also use the power of social media in responding to this.  I've posted this in a facebook discussion on teaching, with a concise statement on the necessity of having credentialed teaching librarians in all school librarians.





Ava M. Biffer
Library Media Specialist
Nathan Hale-Ray Middle School
Moodus, CT 06469
Voice: 860.873.5081 x129<tel:(860)%20873-5081>
Email: ava.biffer at easthaddamschools.org<mailto:ava.biffer at easthaddamschools.org>
"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself."  John Dewey
"Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one." Neil Gaiman
________________________________
From: CASL-L <casl-l-bounces at mylist.net<mailto:casl-l-bounces at mylist.net>> on behalf of Hansen, Eric A <Eric.A.Hansen at ct.gov<mailto:Eric.A.Hansen at ct.gov>>
Sent: Monday, January 9, 2017 8:34 AM
To: 'Shelley Stedman'; CASL GROUP LIST
Subject: Re: [CASL-L] Fwd: [aaslforum] Wall Street Journal opinion piece: Let Parent Volunteers Replace School Librarians

In Connecticut you can access the full text of the article by way of the Wall Street Journal link in researchIT CT.  For instance:

http://researchitct.org/classicschool/

…select Wall Street Journal (1984-present)<http://search.proquest.com/wallstreetjournal?accountid=46995>

…search for the article:  “library lockout” (without the quotation marks) is one approach.

Eric

[cid:image001.jpg at 01D050D6.8BB2D200]
Eric Hansen | eGO and researchIT CT Coordinator | Eric.A.Hansen at ct.gov<http://mailto:Eric.A.Hansen@ct.gov> |Office: (860) 704-2224<tel:(860)%20704-2224>
Division of Library Development<http://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/home>
www.ctstatelibrary.org<http://www.ctstatelibrary.org/> | 786 South Main Street Middletown CT 06457 | Fax: (860) 704-2228<tel:(860)%20704-2228>

From: CASL-L [mailto:casl-l-bounces at mylist.net<mailto:casl-l-bounces at mylist.net>] On Behalf Of Shelley Stedman
Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2017 3:49 PM
To: CASL GROUP LIST
Subject: [CASL-L] FYI: Fwd: [aaslforum] Wall Street Journal opinion piece: Let Parent Volunteers Replace School Librarians

Please act if you feel so inclined! WSJ won't let you read the whole article without subscribing - but my PL will have a copy! Jan. 8 commentary.
Shelley


-------- Original message --------
From: Susan Polos <suz.polos at gmail.com<mailto:suz.polos at gmail.com>>
Date: 1/7/17 6:57 PM (GMT-05:00)
To: aaslforum at lists.ala.org<mailto:aaslforum at lists.ala.org>
Subject: [aaslforum] Wall Street Journal opinion piece: Let Parent Volunteers Replace School Librarians

I am appalled by the way that so many community members seem to think school librarian cuts can be smoothed over by parent volunteers. Please read and consider responding. Thanks!

http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-library-lockout-at-our-elementary-school-1483747233

Susan Polos, School Librarian
Fox Lane High School
Katonah, NY 10536
914 262-4832<tel:(914)%20262-4832>
suz.polos at gmail.com<mailto:suz.polos at gmail.com>


_______________________________________________
CASL-L mailing list
CASL-L at mylist.net<mailto:CASL-L at mylist.net>
http://mylist.net/listinfo/casl-l



This is a staff email account managed by Ledyard Public Schools.  This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender.
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 3991 bytes
Desc: image001.jpg
URL: <http://mylist.net/archives/casl-l/attachments/20170109/72186821/attachment.jpg>