By Jenna Nemec-Loise (and Dorcas Hand,
Editor, TASLTalks)
Jenna Nemec-Loise is one of my library rock stars. She is
the Advocacy Queen for ALSC – I share her ideas often on TASLTalks. ALSC may be
the Association for Library Service to Children which focuses on public
libraries, but youth librarians are youth librarians no matter what kind of
library. We work together because it best serves our students.
So today, I’m talking about her article in the Spring 2017
issue of Children and Libraries – yes, the one that just arrived in my mailbox.
And folks who are not members of ALSC cannot just go read the article – so I
will tell you about it while adding my TASL spin.
Jenna led a workshop in Lititz, PA entitled ”Why YS?
Advocating for the Youth Services Profession.” She offered 6 take-aways for
ALSC Everyday Advocates looking to up their game – and all of them apply to
school librarians. We just add ESSA language and collaboration liberally to
this already spicy stew for a show stopping entrée.
1. Step
outside your Comfort Zone.
School librarians – heck, all youth
librarians – are not in fact wall flowers. We know how important our jobs are
to student achievement in schools and to literacy rates in our communities. We
know how to collaborate with teachers, how to reach the misfit kids who look to
our library as a safe space, how to teach REAL news sources, and… We also know
– even when we don’t want to admit – that if we don’t toot our own horn, we
will not be nearly as successful because the adults outside our library space
won’t know what we do. Step outside your comfort zone every day to tell someone
on campus why you matter to campus mission, vision and goals. Every single day.
2. Listen
to understand, not to respond.
While your goal is to get those people
outside the library to understand why you matter, your first goal has to be to
UNDERSTAND what they need to hear. You only get that understanding if you slow
down your brain to listen to what they are saying, rather than filling your brain
with your retort so that you can’t absorb crucial information that will help
you hone your message to be perfectly understood when you are able to voice it.
It is really important that you tell people what they want to hear, with your
library expertise as the topic – and no, that is not a contradiction. Use that
fabulous journalistic term “spin” to translate your message to their
vocabulary.
3. Temper
passion with reason.
Jenna must be a trained logician – I
don’t know, but she talks about Aristotelian ethos (you and your credibility), logos (evidence presented through logic or reason), and pathos (an emotional appeal to your
audience). And she talks about balance between too dry and logical or too wild
and emotional. You need to offer your listeners the goldilocks formula that is
just right, exactly what each of them needs to hear on this day – because you
listened to them tell you what they needed you to know.
4. Be
the pebble.
A pebble thrown into a puddle or pond,
ripples out farther than the thrower expects. Be the pebble by repeatedly
offering your community ideas, information and data that demonstrates the
impact of strong library programs on students in your specific campus or
district. Don’t relax – keep it interesting. There are many ways to offer information,
from letters and blog posts to infographics and events. Use them all to raise
enthusiasm and awareness for your program so that administrators will hear from
parents and teachers and even students if they threaten to cut your funding.
5. Open
doors wider.
Does your library entice EVERY student
into your space, whether physical or virtual? Do you know what EVERY student
needs? Reading level, research skills, personal interests, friends? There are
not many librarians who could say “yes” – but that “maybe” or even “no” means
that you have an opportunity to open your doors even wider, to find ways to
welcome even more of your students, teachers and parents into your library
collection and space. When every patron – or at least a growing number – are
excited to learn how to locate what they need, then everyone will support your
library program and begin to understand its impact on student achievement.
6. Advocate,
don’t justify.
Don’t get defensive – that leads to
justifying. Listen to steps 1-5. Step outside your comfort zone, listen to
understand, temper your passion with reason, and open the doors wider to
welcome more and more students and teachers – and even administrators. Be the
pebble. It isn’t as hard as you think. Lead with your passion – yes. But always
leave room to hear what the community needs and to support your ideas with data
and concrete methodologies that support the school’s mission and vision.
So, look for
Jenna’s actual article (http://www.ala.org/alsc/publications-resources/cal
) thru your databases – her wording is better than mine. And implement as many
of her ideas as you can manage – advocacy for youth services is essential in
the current political climate. Use your enthusiasm and passion to lead your
program forward wisely to a stronger footing on your campus. Persistence is
power!
Thank you, Jenna – you are indeed my library
advocacy rock star!
