[aisle] Advocacy Letter to your Administrator

[Advocacy AISLE]

As librarians all over the state become increasingly concerned over the
plans being formulated in their buildings, the language of the ISBE
reopening guidelines and their roles shifting to classrooms as we move
forward to students reentering buildings, AISLE Advocacy has crafted a
letter for library staff to use to reach out to their administrators.

This letter is not a statement by AISLE and it is not necessary to use it
as it is written.  It is a guideline for language that you may want to
consider moving forward.  Please feel free to use it verbatim, change it to
make it match the culture of your school or district or to cherry pick what
you would include in reaching out to principals, curriculum directors or,
even your PTO.

In the weeks ahead, AISLE Advocacy will be working hard to put together a
“one stop” location for advocacy in your building.  If you are being
advised of changes to your position or budget or have concerns, please
don’t hesitate to reach out to advocacy at aisled.org.

We are here for you in this deeply concerning time.

Dawn Scuderi
-- 
Dawn Scuderi
Advocacy Manager
Association of Illinois School Library Educators

June 30, 2020

Dear Administrator,

Although no one could have predicted the end of the 2019-2020 school year,
the response to it is an indication of what we at our school have always
known.  Our administration, teachers, support staff, families and students’
perseverance and grit in the face of the COVID-19 crisis and the
determination to do whatever is necessary for our students to continue to
learn and grow has been evident as we strive to do what is best for
students.

As guidelines are shared and important decisions are made about how to
safely and effectively bring students back into our buildings, I would
respectfully ask that you please consider the important role of the library
in providing students equitable access to materials of all kinds, a
highly-educated information specialist and, possibly most importantly, a
safe space, particularly for disenfranchised and socially isolated
students.  Please keep in mind that school libraries, school librarians and
staff are vitally important to the success of students both inside and
outside the walls of our school.

Understanding that budgets may be tight in the coming months, please
remember that resources carefully curated by library staff may be the only
accessible resources that teachers have to build online lesson plans and
that students will rely on as they read for information. Our print and
digital collections support the curriculum by providing opportunities for
students to engage in learning that inspires them, discover the lives of
others through fiction and nonfiction and encourage empathy and
understanding of our complicated world.  I ask that we continue to meet the
needs of students and faculty by allowing these resources to continue to be
funded and that we continue the commitment to grow the library both
physically and virtually.

As we move forward to reopening our school, please know that I am eager to
provide input into how the library can continue to serve students and staff
as well as our stakeholders.  As you are meeting with district or building
groups, I am available to bring my voice and skill set to help shape the
2020-2021 school year.

Thank you for your consideration of the role of the library as we
transition back to face to face learning in the Fall.

Sincerely,

Your School Librarian
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