How SaveSchoolLibrarians.org is Making a Difference

Publisher's Weekly just released a great feature article about our collaboration with Follett Learning to create and launch SaveSchoolLibrarians.org, our national advocacy site focused on creating district-by-district change for school library funding.

The goal of the site is to help any school librarian anywhere who is facing a threat to their position or sees an unfair budget cut coming rally their local community through our digital outreach platform. EveryLibrary helps every step of the way, including writing the email/petition to the local school board and superintendent, and planning a successful coalition-building plan. Follett Learning's donor support allows us to spend a small amount of smart money in each local community to reach people who can be activated in support.

Follett Learning's support also has enabled EveryLibrary to work with 6 state school library associations on statewide plans or larger district-by-district outreach campaigns. We want to start moving from everyday advocacy to 'save' school libraries to real activism that sets an agenda - at the state and local level - for school library funding. These six state partnership projects with Illinois, Florida, Montana, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Washington state associations are intended to do just that. From a "Restoration Task Force" that works with school boards to influence budget decisions to campaigning for a "Mandate Bill" to ensure that every child (regardless of how rich the district is) has access to a librarian and the right collection of print and digital materials, SaveSchoolLibrarians.org is trying to reset the funding future for library programs and librarians' jobs.

You can read all about this unique and high-impact project at "EveryLibrary, Follett Partner to Save School Librarians".