The AJL Advocacy Committee, which reports to the SSCPL division, publicizes the need for professionally staffed and adequately maintained libraries in Jewish day schools, synagogues and Jewish community centers. The committee’s purpose is to expand AJL’s role in educating Jewish organizations’ administrators and those who influence their decision-makers about the vital role Jewish libraries play in helping support their institutions and communities.
ADVOCACY RESOURCES
- The AJL Advocacy Kit contains AJL’s position statement and advocacy talking points to empower librarians seeking the support of their institutions
- Jewish School Library Advocacy Powerpoint is a template that you can edit to fit your school’s needs
- The Scholastic brochure entitled “School Libraries Work!” is an excellent guide for promoting your position in the school
- Stephanie Gerding created a powerpoint to help demonstrate how to value your library services
- Judy Petersen, Library Director of Congregation Har Shalom in Fort Collins, CO conducted a dialogue on Hasafran in 2012 about the relationship between librarians and their synagogues. Her summary of the correspondence is posted here
- Demonstrating the Importance of School Libraries web links
- Article from Education Week in 2018 “Why School Librarians Are the Literacy Leaders We Need“
- Article “School Librarians Empower Thriving Schools”
- Example of Impressive Library Stats which can be used as a model
- Promoting your Library, presented by Liza Stabler at the 2003 AJL Convention
- How to Get Attention aka Library Advocacy, presented by Toby Harris at the 2014 AJL Conference
- Advocating for Your Library: What Your Board Wants to Know, presented by Kathy Bloomfield at the 2018 AJL Conference