TE875 Cathy Kaus

Chadron Middle School Teacher/Library Advocacy Plan

Target Audience
Chadron Middle School library services grades 5-8. There are approximately 268
students. The poverty rate is 34% and there are an increasing number of ESL students
from the Marshall Islands. The library advocacy plan should design programs. . .,
advertise and market these programs in order to increase participation, collect data and
evidence about the programs' successes, and then educate our community about the
importance of continuing these programs by helping them to understand the benefit of the
programs to teens (Gruenthal, 2012, p.13). The target audience for this advocacy plan is
the content area teachers. Based on an interview with the current librarian, the primary
concerns of teachers are time, differentiation, student success using 21st century skills,
reading for pleasure and parent concerns about technology. Recently, teachers have also
indicated a growing concern about plagiarism and the use of technology (Pickering,
2014). The school mission statement is: Infinite Education, Infinite Possibilities,
Opportunities for All. The administration would like to see teachers emphasize the
world outside the walls of CMS to show children the possibilities open to them. As a
result, the best way to reach teachers is to give them the personalized attention and
professional concern that will aid them in preparing, organizing, and presenting
instructional programs (Morris, 2010, p.99). This advocacy plan is designed to address
the needs of teachers and to help them meet the vision inherent in the mission statement.

Benefits of the Advocacy Plan

Teachers as the target audience
The librarian will be more responsive to the needs of teachers by developing both
personal and professional relationships with the teachers. The library will become a
solution for teachers. When you collaborate with teachers to incorporate a new
technology or research skill into a lesson, they come to see you as a partner who can help
support their teaching goals (Gruenthal, 2012, p.14) while saving them time, assisting
with differentiation and teaching 21st century research skills. In addition, when you
[librarian] come across information you think may be helpful to a particular teacher, pass
it along. You will make yourself the go-to person for answers when someone wants
information (Gruenthal, 2012, p. 15). The librarian becomes a liaison between teachers
and other sources of information. The school librarian works actively to form
partnerships with stakeholders and sister organizations at local and global levels (AASL,
2009, p.18). Teachers will also benefit through ongoing assessment of new technologies
and resources available as well as training to implement those in the classroom.
The school library
The school library will benefit through increase usage time by teachers, students
and community members. The library will become a vital, engaged member of the
learning community with a direct connection to student success. The focus is on
expanding access and improving quality. Aligning with these goals means you will need
to bring some new ideas and tools into your work (Hartman, 2012, p.12) as indicated in

the activities and marketing sections tied to each goal. Collaboration becomes the
cornerstone to improving personal and professional relationships. Faculty members
should be encouraged to collaboratively plan with the media specialist, preferably in the
school library media center, and become acquainted with the centers resources that are
appropriate to their classroom needs (Morris, 2010, p.99). The library will also become
a source of information connecting parents with school technology usage as shown in
Goal 2. Joint displays in the classroom and the center is an excellent way to gain
teachers support and at the same time promote the centers collection (Morris, 2010,
p.99). In this way, the collection becomes an indispensable tool for teachers and student
success. The library becomes a central hub for learning.

Goal 1: Promote reading for pleasure in content areas.

Activities:
1. Meet with each grade level teacher team to find out needs
Person Responsible: Librarian, teachers
Materials: Minutes from previous meetings, TechPaths,
information about library collection, resources & technology
2. Meet with each teacher individually to discuss curriculum
Person Responsible: Librarian, teacher
Materials: TechPaths & information about library collection,
resources & technology
3. Catalog teacher resources within the classroom

Person Responsible: Librarian, teacher (as needed)

Materials: Excel spreadsheet
4. Weekly Email listing books/resource available for lessons being taught
Person Responsible: Librarian or paraprofessional
Materials: Information regarding new acquisitions and
technologies, TechPaths to coordinate with teacher lessons, teacher
Email addresses organized by content &/or grade level
5. On the library website create separate section for content area resources
Person Responsible: Librarian or paraprofessional
Materials: Library website that is consistently updated, knowledge
of collection and resources, TechPaths
Marketing:
In house:
Create a content-based Spotlight & Quick Pick book.
Materials: Library collection Spotlight book would be a chapter
book on grade level, a Quick Pick would be a shorter, easier
reading level book for differentiation.
Contacts: Teachers, students
Feature student created book trailers
Materials: Computers, USB or download trailers to play on
continuous loop
Contacts: Teachers, students, administration, community members
Present commercials in the classrooms that align with curriculum

Materials: Book, costume (if needed), music (if needed)

Contacts: Teachers, students
Outreach:
Community members present information about careers available in
content areas.
Materials: As needed - tables, chairs, computer, projector,
refreshments
Contacts: Examples include doctors, bankers, museum director,
engineers, lab assistants, authors, etc.
College professors present information about topics discussed in class
Materials: As needed tables, chairs, computer, projector
Contacts: Examples include CSC history professor speaks on the
Civil War, or CSC botany professor speaks on plants unique to the
Sandhills, etc.
Borrow artifacts/tools or pictures from businesses or organizations that
can be displayed and analyzed by students. The displayed would include
recommended books (fiction & nonfiction) that go with the item.
Guess the Gadget? theme.
Materials: Display case, items borrowed from community
Contacts: Varies depending upon lessons. Example display
a bed key or bed rope tightener along with books about colonial
life and the words Sleep Tight.

Goal 2: Increase the use of technology

Activities:
1. Conduct Technology survey to assess needs & wants
Person Responsible: Librarian
Materials: Google forms to create survey, teacher Email addresses
2. Attend team meetings to find out needs of various groups
Person Responsible: Librarian, teachers
Materials: Minutes from previous meetings, TechPaths,
information about library collection, resources & technology,
results of Google survey
3. Meet with Tech Department to discuss options available &/or upgrades
Person Responsible: Librarian, technology department staff
Materials: Information about library collection, resources &
technology, results of Google survey
4. Offer technology tutorials on library webpage (for staff & students)
Person Responsible: Librarian
Materials: Embed presentations or provide a link on library
website (could use Power Point, or any program/app for presenting
information)
5. Provide training at staff meetings or before & after school
Person Responsible: Librarian
Materials: Computer, projector, handouts, computers for those
attending (if needed)

6. Team-teach and collaborate on projects

Person Responsible: librarian, teacher
Materials: Checklist, rubric, lesson plan based on Danielson
model, any relevant resources and technology needed
Marketing:
In-house: Send Tech Tie-In Email to teachers. Includes programs/apps
for either students or teacher usage in the classroom
Materials: Teacher Email addresses, any relevant links regarding
programs/apps
Contacts: Librarian, paraprofessional, technology department
staff, teachers
Teen Tech Time to introduce a new tool each week
Materials: Posters to advertise event, computer, projector,
computer/tablets for student use, handout, refreshments (if needed)
Contacts: Librarian, paraprofessional, students
Feature student multimedia projects in the library and classrooms
Materials: Computers, display cases or shelves to set up projects
Contacts: Teachers, students, parents, administration, community
members
Outreach:
Collaborate worldwide on projects or research
Materials: Computers, Skype capabilities, Google drive, Email
addresses (as needed)

Contacts: Teachers, students, parents, community members, world

education organizations (iEARN, PenPal News)
Publicize student projects on school websites, Facebook, blogs and
local newspapers.
Materials: Streaming capabilities, project links, pictures
Contacts: Teachers, students, parents, administration, community
members, Chadron Record
Create Time-Out for Technology gathering that would include parents,
students & teachers to share technology tools being used in school and
responsible usage of technology.
Materials: Computers, projector, computers/tablets, handouts,
Refreshments (as needed)
Contacts: Parents, students, teachers

Goal 3: Increase teacher library usage time for inquiry based learning and projects
Activities:
1. Survey teachers regarding inquiry based learning to assess needs
Person Responsible: Librarian
Materials: Google forms to create survey, teacher Email addresses
2. Meet with teachers individually to go through curriculum and find
places appropriate for inquiry based learning that would benefit students
Person Responsible: Librarian, teacher
Materials: TechPaths, results of survey

3. Provide teachers with checklist & process for team-teaching &

collaboration
Person Responsible: Librarian, teacher
Materials: Checklist, rubric, lesson plan based on Danielson
model, any relevant resources and technology needed
4. Provide online research handbook
Person Responsible: Librarian, paraprofessional
Materials: Create online research handbook, provide link on
school website
Marketing:
In-house: Bookmarks listing resources, how to determine reliability of
websites and research tools
Materials: Card stock paper, laminating, list of resources
Contacts: Librarian, paraprofessionals, teachers, students
Display completed projects in library & classroom
Materials: Computers, display cases or shelves to set up projects
Contacts: Teachers, students, parents, administration, community
members
Create Project Partners in which students share projects with each other.
It could be across grade levels or across curriculum
Materials: Library tables, computers, projector (as needed)
Contacts: Teachers, students
Outreach:

Provide outside sources students could use for research. For example list
of museums to write for information or people to interview
Materials: Vary depending on the project
Contacts: Teachers, students, community members
Field trip opportunities to public and college libraries
Materials: Buses, permission forms, public library cards,
handouts for reference
Contacts: Teachers, students, parents, community members
Present finished projects at community events (Rotary Club, Kiwanis,
Store Front windows, etc.)
Materials: Buses, permission forms, projects, make schedule
arrangements
Contacts: Teachers, students, parents, administration, community
members and organizations

Conclusion
In order to evaluate the effectiveness of this plan, evidence will be collected and
analyzed. According to Gruenthal, Take pictures and collect statistics so that if your
program is in danger of being eliminated you can show what is at stake (Gruenthal,
2012, p.15). This plan is meant to be an ongoing project that will change as needs and
goals change.

References

AASL. (2009). Empowering learners: Guidelines for school library programs. Chicago,
IL: American Association of School Librarians.
Gruenthal, H. (2012). A school library advocacy alphabet. young adult library services,
11(1), 13-18.
Hartman, M. (2012). Good teen librarians make great library advocates. Young Adult
Library Services, 11(1), 10-12.
Morris, B. J. (2010). Administering the school library media center (5th ed.). Santa
Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.
Pickering, J. (2014, September 22). Chadron library & teacher usage [Personal
interview].