[CALIBK12] Board presentation in MERCED

[Sarah Morgan]

This is a great time of year to remind Board Members and Admin about
the importance of School Libraries.  Our Merced elementary/MS LMTs are
being targeted AGAIN as being an easy way of saving money in the year
to come.

We were on the board agenda last night (we had 2 horse notice of the
agenda item) and will be on the agenda again next week to discuss the
removal of ALL LMTs in order to turn in a balanced budget to the
county.  Needless to say, Sue's latest email with school library stats
is helpful.  We presented all of this and more for several months last
year and were able to keep 9 LMTs for 17 schools.  Not great, but not
too terrible either.  Having .5 of a LMT at each site has had its
negative effects, however.   Everyone of us should have an advocacy
speech in their back pockets, at all times.  Don't let this happen in
your district!

Let's keep up the good fight CALIBBers!  Remember: it's for the children!

Most sincerely yours,
Sarah Morgan
LMT, Merced, CA

On 2/20/08, Sue Morgan <smorgan at blueoakschool.org> wrote:
>
>
>
> Some ideas for presenting information to your school board (or parents at
> back to school night, or faculty)
>
>
>
> * Keep it short - go for something they will remember when they go home
>
> * Mention money - how much is your library collection worth?
>
> * Use statistics  - I recently did a very "low tech" presentation where I
> put just the numbers (percentages, ratios, etc. )in BIG (200 pt.) font, held
> those up, then explained them - it helps to reassure the board that school
> libraries matter, and that they are doing the right thing by supporting the
> library.
>
> Here are the numbers (You can insert statistics from your own collection to
> see how it measures up)
>
>
> •23%
>
> of California schools have a credentialed library media teacher on campus
> part time or more;
>
> •1:889
>
> the average national ratio of library media teachers to students
>
> •51st
>
> California's rank  in the nation with a …..
>
> •5,965:1
>
> ratio of school librarians to students in CA
>
> •17.2
>
> : average number of school library books per K – 12 student in California
>
> •22:
>
> national average of school library books per student
>
> •1972:
>
> Average age of collection of school library books in CA in 1995
>
> •1993;
>
> Average age of collection of school library books in CA in 2005
>
> (These statistics are from the cde website at:
>
>  http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/lb/libstats.asp)
>
> Sue Morgan
>
> Librarian/Technology Coordinator
>
> Blue Oak School
>
> Napa, CA
>
>
>
> We are preparing a board presentation in my district and are looking for a
> theme.  Any good ideas that would tie in with these t-shirts?  This year's
> conference theme has been at the top of my list, but I thought with the
> creative minds on CALIB something else might spring up...
>
>
>
>   TIA,
>
>
>
>   Teresa Perry
>
>   Library Technician
>
>   Meiners Oaks Elementary
>
>
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