Re: [LM_NET] Librarian Image & Lost Positions -- advocacy and a reality check

[Carol Simpson <Carol_Simpson@UNT.EDU>]

Remember that every long journey begins with one step. We don't have to eat this 
elephant in one gulp, but every administrator we reach in this way is one less who 
needs to get the message.

Also remember that =every= administrator who didn't come to that session at least 
saw the topic in the program. Just that is a triumph -- library programs are worthy 
of consideration by administrators! How many conferences have you attended when you 
had to make hard choices -- two (or more) good programs are up against one another? 
Just because there isn't a big attendance doesn't mean there is low interest.

That's why writing for administrator, etc. publications is a better choice. 
EVERYONE can "attend" a journal article.

I'm doing a legal clerkship this summer at a well-known non-profit, public interest 
organization. I was talking with the director of the school to prison pipeline 
project in which they work to reduce the force-out (as opposed to drop out) rates 
in alternative schools of socio-economically disadvantaged students, and explained 
that our research on school libraries has shown that a professional librarian and 
active library program can virtually offset the negative effect of socio-economic 
status. She was astounded and very interested! Perhaps we need to cultivate some 
non-educational partners as well....

Carol Simpson, Ed.D.
Assoc. Professor (mod. svc.)
School of Library & Information Sciences
University of North Texas
PO Box 311068
307 S. Avenue B, Suite 205
Denton, TX 76203
940-565-3776 (voice)
940-565-3101 (fax)
carol_simpson@unt.edu


>>> Mary Alice Anderson <maryalicea@MAC.COM> 06/02/07 8:16 AM >>>
My former principal and I have given presentations together including one at the 
national middle school convention. It was great fun---but the large majority of the 
people in the audience were media specialists, not the principals and other 
educators we hoped to reach.  He gave a presentation at the national principal's 
convention and had a very small audience.

I'm not suggesting we  should stop doing this sort of thing--this is just a reality 
check.

Mary Alice

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