As I prepare for my session on collaboration for the AASL 2015 National Conference, I can't help
but reflect on my journey through library promotion. The two facets of school librarianship certainly go hand-in-hand. When I accepted a position as a part-time middle school librarian/part-time high school English teacher back in 2011, I didn't know much about library promotion. In fact, promotion is one of the biggest facets of the job that sets a teacher librarian (with a flexible schedule) apart from a classroom teacher. I knew I needed to make teachers and administrators aware of what the library had to offer them, but I wasn't quite sure how to go about doing that effectively. And I probably didn't do a great job that first year. I had a lot of obstacles to overcome both personally and professionally, but those cannot be excuses for scanty library use. I only really started to become adept at library promotion after I joined the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association Promotions Committee - and I joined quite by accident! I attended my first leadership summit expecting to be a part of another committee that needed more members, but unfortunately the only other member from this committee had other obligations during our meeting time. So, in an effort to make my trip to the workshop worthwhile, I sat down with a lively and organized group of ladies (imagine that - organized librarians!). This group turned out to be the Promotions Committee, and they welcomed me with open arms. Not only did we discuss different ways of effectively promoting our services to our school communities, but we also created a number of
advocacy lists to help other librarians discover great ways of promoting their libraries.
One of the greatest professional experiences I have had was presenting a session at the PSLA annual conference. Along with four other amazing school librarians who work with students ranging from grades K-12, we presented
ideas for library promotion. While presenting was fun, the best part of doing this presentation was learning from all of the other fantastic librarians who attended the session. The greatest take-away was that a conference session presenter is merely a facilitator, and using the time to have a group brainstorm can be immensely beneficial to all participants.
Since this presentation, I have now implemented several promotional ideas that I gathered from session participants. One that I have used the past two years is the Used Book Sale. Not only am I able to make a little bit of petty cash for other promotions, but also I am able to provide a reason for parents to check out the library during open house, an incentive for administrators to come see what we are up to in the library, and maybe a way to coax a few students and teachers who do not normally frequent the library to see what we have to offer them. We have received book donations from community members who are happy to give their used books a meaningful home, and we have been able to fund prize drawings and reading incentives for other library promotions.
Based on my previous experiences with library conferences, I cannot wait to facilitate a discussion on collaboration at AASL 2015. I cannot even anticipate the kinds of strategies and project ideas I will gain from my colleagues who have school libraries all over the nation. But I know that I will return from the conference excited to try new ideas and ready to collaborate with teachers.
