New AASL toolkit helps parents advocate for school libraries

Contact: Melissa Jacobsen


AASL Communications Specialist


(312) 280-4381


mjacobsen@ala.org

NEWS


For Immediate Release


September 15, 2009

CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has launched a new resource on its Web site, the Parent Outreach Toolkit. The toolkit was created to help school library media specialists educate and garner support from an important advocate in the school community, parents. It can be found at
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslissues/toolkits/toolkits.cfm.

The toolkit asks the question, “How can parents help their child succeed in this changing global economy?” The answer: by equipping every school with a full-time certified school library media specialist. This toolkit organizes parents to become advocates within the school community.

As leaders in the 21st-century skills movement, it is important that school library media specialists impress upon parents the vital role they play in their child's education. This toolkit is the perfect resource to share with parents to help showcase the school library media program. It provides parents with links to existing resources and organizations to help advocate for school library media specialists and their programs. Parents are also provided with additional information on legislative initiatives that can help to strengthen messages of support.

The American Association of School Librarians,
www.aasl.org, 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.