Like many of the discussions on this list, your opinion on this subject is
relative to your own experience. Those of us who have found our jobs on the
chopping block because administrators saw us an expendable can see why it is
important to make everyone (fellow teachers, parents, the community and
administrators) see what we do and how well we do it. Those of us in secure
positions may object to the need to promote their programs to
administrators. However the facts are that in these tough financial times, the
people like Pam Nutt who make the effort to get on the boards of education, are
the ones who can do the most to assure that school libraries remain
open with qualified professionals in charge.
I've been promoting my program for the past 14 years in my district and
will continue to do so. I noticed from the beginning that some administrators
had a very negative reaction to this part of the school. So I made it my
job to keep my supervisors aware of what's going on in my library and
what I needed to make it work. That has included inviting the
superintendent to read at Read Across America night, sitting down with the
principal informally and even getting media (TV and print) coverage for special
programs. My job is less secure than it was when I started in this district but
I am fighting to make sure that every student in my school has weekly access to
the library. My biggest allies have been the parents who also let the
administrators know that the also want their kids to have regular library
service.
Advocacy does pay off and is important. I think a survey of list
members especially those who have seen their positions eliminated or
reduced, would agree.
Jo
Josephine Dervan, Library Media Specialist
Strathmore Elementary School
Aberdeen, NJ
rderva@infionline.net
school-jdervan@marsd.k12.nj.us
He who has a library and a garden wants for nothing- Cicero
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