Tag Archives: Washington

Academic, Check this out:, CMLE, General, Public, Resources, School Media Specialist, Special

Start planning now: Library Legislative Day is coming soon!

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At CMLE Headquarters, we want you to be informed about all the great things happening across the profession. And advocacy is ALWAYS an important topic!!

If there is sufficient interest in this, CMLE HQ can help to make arrangements for members to travel to Washington DC, so we can directly tell our federal politicians how valuable we are to our communities. Funding is going to be tight, and priorities for resources are shifting – and libraries are not at the top of the list for support.

The profession needs YOU!

  • If you can not make it to Washington, then attend our Minnesota legislative day!
  • If you can not do that, then give your legislator a call and tell them (briefly, politely) about something great your library did today, or this week, or this month.
  • And if you need to practice your phone call before you make it, talk to us first! We can help you organize ideas, and to feel confident that you have a great story to share!!

This is not just for “other” library people, or just people with a degree, or just ALA members, or just ANYTHING!

YOU are in a library, YOU know about the service you provide, the materials your patrons would not have without you, the help you give every single day. YOU are exactly the right person to do some advocacy for your library, for your community, and for your profession. GO TELL SOMEONE!!

(There we go – that’s library advocacy! You nailed it!!) Continue reading Start planning now: Library Legislative Day is coming soon! →

General, School Media Specialist

New Washington State study makes case for school librarians

GraduateWith the school year winding down and administrators thinking about and planning for next year, some school librarians may be worrying about their jobs. CMLE has covered this topic before! From the ALA President’s statement on school librarians, to CMLE wondering “Where have the Media Specialist Gone in 2014,” we know some of you may need some resources during this challenging time.

Just in time is a recent Washington State study that makes the case for school librarians even stronger. They found high schools with a certified teaching librarian (CTL) on staff had a 9 percent higher graduation rate. Standardized reading scores and year 1 math scores were also significantly higher in schools with CTLs.

School librarians go beyond just books and access. The study reports that information technology has a large role too, since school librarians “carry a heavy load of teaching responsibilities focused on information technology; skills that are necessary for success in higher education as well as virtually any profession in today’s world.”

Some of the major findings include:

  • Students who attend schools with certified teacher-librarians and quality library facilities perform better on standardized tests and are more likely to graduate, even after controlling for school size and student income level.
  • Students who attend schools with on-staff certified teacher-librarians (CTLs) have more equitable access to technologically advanced and accessible library facilities.
  • Students who attend schools with certified teacher-librarians are more likely to be taught information technology skills and technology fluency skills.

Read the article now or jump to the full report.

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/o9gpyt6, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0