Promote advocacy with AASL's new toolkit

Contact: Andrea Parker


312-280-1396

For Immediate Release


June 2002

Promote advocacy with AASL's new toolkit

To encourage school library media specialists to build on the publicity generated by First Lady Laura Bush's White House conference about the value of school libraries, the American Association of School Libraries (AASL) has compiled a collection of ready-to-use tools for planning and conducting local advocacy campaigns.

The
AASL Advocacy Toolkit, which contains an introduction to advocacy and advocacy training, talking points, resource guides and other support material, can help school library media specialists launch or renew advocacy efforts following Mrs. Bush's June 4, 2002, meeting. Some 175 guests comprised of mostly principals, superintendents, school administrators and others will come together for the half-day White House conference that will focus on school libraries and their connection to student achievement.

"Mrs. Bush's conference provides us with an incredible opportunity to publicize the positive things happening in school library media centers across the country," AASL President, Helen Adams, high school library media specialist and technology coordinator at Rosholt (Wis.) Public Schools said. "I hope that media specialists will use resources from the AASL Advocacy Tool Kit as they prepare to meet with their principals and speak with parents. Now is the time to speak up for the media program's positive impact on student achievement."

Advocacy has always been a top priority with AASL and its board of directors. Under the banner "Because Student Achievement IS the Bottom Line," a five-year advocacy campaign served as the backbone of AASL's efforts to support the implementation of its national guidelines and standards, published in
Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning.

AASL, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), promotes the improvement and extension of library media services in elementary and secondary schools as a means of strengthening the total education program. Its mission is to advocate excellence, facilitate change and develop leaders in the school library media field.