Re: Time Magazine

["Roberta J. Ponis" <rponis@JEFFCO.K12.CO.US>]

Dear Gary et al,

Brilliant!  What is really powerful about your comments on the Time
article is the thoughtful dissection of the problem and more importantly
what is most effective is turning the tide.  We have just held a Crisis
in Colorado School Libraries Summit where nearly fifty folks from various
agencies, organizations, outside of school libraries got together to
learn of the crisis facing school librarians in Colorado and to
strategize how to strenthen their role/programs as related to student
achievement.(data from the Colorado study was shared)  What was requested
before Summit participants left was a commitment to work on one or more
strategies for the rest of the year and to take back the work of the
Summit to their organizations.  What we learned from this Summit is that
people outside school libraries are unaware of their mission, their
impact, their struggles, their funding source, and are confused about the
number of titles we are called.  The non school library folks recommended
that we adopt a single title and that school librarian and school library
was much easier to understand than the current monikers floating around
the state.  They were also unaware of the Colorado study which
demonstrates research-wise that professionals, amount of budget for
resources, size of the collection and collaboration with teachers are the
most significant factors affecting student achievement.  What powerful
research, they said.  Why haven't we heard about this, they said.  And
so, we have a great deal of advocacy to promote.  But it is also
important to get others to advocate for us - that's even more powerful.
And so, I appreciate your comments, Gary, and encourage us all to pursue
advocacy throughout the nation.  I will continue to update this list on
our efforts here in Colorado.

Roberta Ponis
Library Services Coordinator
Jefferson County Public Schools
Golden, Colorado
rponis@jeffco.k12.co.us

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