GEN: White House Special Event

[Margaret Lincoln <mlincoln@REMC12.K12.MI.US>]

We are all extremely busy and involved in many projects and tasks related
to the end of the school year. How can we possibly take on one more job,
no matter how important?

You may have received a number of email messages over the past week from
your state library association, AASL and even viewed postings here on
LM_NET. These messages have urged us to inform our administrators of the
upcoming White House gathering organized by First Lady Laura Bush on June
4. The purpose of this event will be to showcase the value of school
libraries.

Think of the implications... This conference is NOT being organized to
highlight the importance of technology coordinators or computer teachers!
It's about our school library media programs and us!

I felt compelled to do something and decided that the very least that I
could handle would be to join with library colleagues in my school
district (Lakeview Public Schools in Battle Creek, Michigan) and write a
letter to our administration. An abbreviated version will appear as a
"letter to the editor" in our local newspaper this weekend. I have advised
other colleagues in the area to use the letter as they see fit. It is
worded in a general manner to recognize the accomplishments of all library
media specialists in the Battle Creek area.

AASL has compiled an Advocacy Tool Kit, available at
http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/key.html. This material along with a
sample memo shared by Mike Eisenberg at
http://www.ischool.washington.edu/lm_net/Sample%20Memo.doc provides
valuable help in composing an appropriate letter to send to school
district administrators.

There is still time to act and to notify your own administration of next
Tuesday's White House gathering. Good luck and thank you for your efforts
on behalf of our profession.


Margaret Lincoln, Librarian
Lakeview High School, Battle Creek, MI
mlincoln@remc12.k12.mi.us

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