Re: [LM_NET] TARGET: models for unstaffed libraries

[Shonda Brisco <sbrisco@GMAIL.COM>]

Perhaps sharing with the community, the stakeholders, the value of these
collections and the lack of supervision that will be given to THEIR tax
money which was used to pay for these materials, will create enough
discomfort for some of the leaders to re-think why they would want to allows
these collections to be unsupervised by a professional librarian.

I would definitely contact some of your local "library supporters"---
parents, teachers, etc.---who understand the value of the library and ask
that they help you in sharing the information with the community.  I would
also make certain that your local newspapers are aware of the "unnecessary
government waste" of wonderful resources made available to the children of
the community and the short-sighted plans of those who are making these
decisions without bringing EVERYONE to the table to discuss the pros and
cons of their wisdom before they embark upon it.

It's time for YOU to take your place at the table and bring up the issues
that they don't understand.  Money is an important motivation in these tough
economic times--- so ask your community if they want to PAY once again for
the loss of the resources that will be stolen / removed / go missing when no
one is there to supervise and utilize the collections left in the dust?  Ask
them if they are concerned about the amount of money that they have invested
in educating their children and why the most valuable and long-lasting
institution within the educational system---the library and the
librarian---are being removed from the instructional team?

Get your statistics together, gather your supporters, compile photos,
images, comments, and resources that show the importance of the school
libraries to education and the impact that these resources and the school
librarian has had to your students, and start showcasing this information
for everyone to see.  At this point in our history, we do NOT need to remove
one of the most vital, the most important components necessary for a
well-informed republic.  By eliminating these resources, the librarians, and
the school library, this group of leaders is restricting students from
access to information and from learning how to assume the leadership
positions of tomorrow. In essence, the leaders making this decision are
retarding the growth, the development, and the future of education in the
21st century.  Shouldn't there be a lawsuit in this somewhere?


Keep the faith!

~Shonda

-- 
Shonda Brisco
Assistant Professor / Curriculum Materials Librarian
Mary L. Williams Curriculum Materials Library
001 Willard Hall
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74078
http://www.library.okstate.edu/cml/index.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://osulibrarian.wordpress.com/
http://www.osu-cml.wikispaces.com
sbrisco@gmail.com

http://okschoollibrarians.wikispaces.com
http://okschoollibrarians.ning.com/

"Digital Resources" columnist
School Library Journal

"It is more than ironic that school districts are willing to spend
hundreds of thousands of dollars on reading programs and staff
development which have had limited success in boosting test scores,
but are unwilling to invest in school library programs that show direct
correlations to student success."

~ Douglas Achterman,  2008 Study of California School Libraries
http://www.lrs.org/impact.php

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