IRLS 696D

Current Resources in School Libraries:

Information Literacy and Educational Advocacy

(L to R) Ryan M., David M., Ann Ewbank, Steven P., Sen. Linda Gray (R-10), Michael M.

Library Legislative Day, 2/24/05

Fall 2005

Mondays 6:30pm-9pm

Burton Barr Library*

1221 N. Central Ave., Phoenix

8/22/05-12/5/05

*Class will be held in the 4^th floor Lecture Room, except where noted that it will be held in the 4^th Floor Training Room.

Ann Dutton Ewbank, M.A.

Ann.Ewbank@asu.edu

(602) 509-3156 (no calls after 9 pm)

Office Hours: Immediately prior to class

Email is the best way to reach me.

Course Content:

The future of school libraries and school library professionals is unknown. Due to the increasing demands of the federal No Child Left Behind Act and decreasing budgets in many states across the nation, school libraries are currently facing a crisis of survival. Despite strong evidence that effective school library programs positively impact student achievement, many stakeholders (from building-level teachers and administrators, to state and federal elected officials) know little about a school library programÕs relationship to the schoolÕs curriculum and to student achievement. It is imperative that todayÕs school library professionals become advocates for strong school library programs, at the school level and beyond.

This course is designed for both the working school library professional as well as the pre-service teacher-librarian. Using Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning as a basis for organizing advocacy work, the student will explore methods of advocacy for the school library- at the building level and beyond.

Learning Outcomes:

By the conclusion of the course, the student will:

Articulate the link between the Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning (AASL/AECT) and school library program advocacy;

Relate information about the fourteen school library state studies to various stakeholders;

Explain the basis of organizational behavior and how it relates to building influence for a school library program;

Distinguish between advocacy and marketing and how these principles relate to the school library program;

Justify the importance of political advocacy for the school library program;

Relate action research projects conducted in the school library to advocacy;

Design an advocacy project to build influence for the school library program.

Required Texts:

AASL/AECT (1999) Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning. Chicago: ALA Editions.

Hartzell, G (2003). Building Influence for the School Librarian: Tenets, Targets, and Tactics, Second Edition. Linworth.

Schuckett, S. (2003) Political Advocacy for School Librarians: YOU HAVE THE POWER! Linworth.

Required Web Downloads:

Toolkit for School Library Media Programs @ your library ª Free download at http://www.ala.org/ala/pio/campaign/schoollibrary/schoollibrary.htm

ALA Library AdvocateÕs Handbook. Free Download at http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslproftools/toolkits/aasladvocacy.htm

ALA A Library AdvocateÕs Guide to Building Information Literate Communities. Free Download at http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslproftools/toolkits/aasladvocacy.htm

Scholastic Research Foundation (2004). School Libraries Work! Free download at www.scholasticlibrary.com/download/slw_04.pdf

Your School Library Media Program and No Child Left Behind; Brochure for Principals. Free Download at http://www.ala.org/ala/aaslbucket/aaslnclbbrochure.htm

Optional Texts:

Dr. Lesley S.J. Farmer. (2003). How to Conduct Action Research: A Guide for Library Media Specialists. Ordering information: 1-866-SHOP ALA (1-866-746-7252) or 1-312-944-6780; fax 1-770-442-9742.

Marla W. McGhee and Barbara A. Jansen (2005) The Principal's Guide to a Powerful Library Media Program. Linworth. $44.95

Course Requirements:

Participation/Attendance- 20%

The expectation is that you will make every effort to attend class, arrive on time, and come prepared. More than one absence and/or chronic tardiness, leaving early, or taking "breaks" during class time will lower your grade. Please inform the instructor, in advance, of a planned absence. Students will be expected to make up the work missed.

Participation is defined as taking an active part in your learning and that of your classmates by coming to class prepared with readings and assignments, and contributing to discussions and class activities.

D2L Online Environment- 20%

(Due weekly): D2L is the name of our online course environment. There you will find a discussion forum with various topics. Your task is to post a discussion item at least once by Wednesday of each week (at the latest), and then respond to someone elseÕs posting by the following Friday (at the latest). The purpose of the D2L postings is to facilitate engagement as a learning community outside of regular class time. Late postings will not be accepted.

School library visit/teacher-librarian interview- 20%

The student will design an interview protocol focused on advocacy as it relates to school libraries, locate and interview a teacher-librarian, and write a summary report of the interview to be delivered to the class the following week. The summary should be 2-3 typed, double-spaced pages using standard margins and 12-point font. Rather than a verbatim transcript of the interview, the summary report should reflect an analysis of the views and actions of the interview subject. The instructor will provide a list of willing interview subjects or the student may procure his/her own subject.

Advocacy Project 40%

The capstone experience of this course will be an advocacy project designed to build influence for the effective school library program. More detailed expectations for the project will be given in class:

1. an action research study carried out in the school library and the dissemination of results;

2. the creation of a comprehensive school library marketing campaign using the @ your library ª brand;

3. an article suitable for publication in a journal outside library science (such as the Arizona Reading Association Newsletter or the Arizona Council for the Social Studies newsletter);

4. A conference presentation proposal suitable for submission to a conference outside library science (such as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, ASU Language and Literacy Conference or the Arizona English TeachersÕ Association Conference); or

5. A student design approved by the instructor.

Grading scale:

93-100 % A

85-92 % B

84% and below C

Tentative Course Outline- assignments and readings to be added at a later date.

8/22: Welcome and introductions, philosophy of the course, overview of the course, whatÕs your name (School Library Media Specialist, Teacher-Librarian, Library Media Teacher, Librarian, etc.)?

9/5: Labor Day- No class

9/12: Information Power as the basis for a school library program, 1^st half (4^th floor training room)

9/19: Information Power as a basis for a school library program, 2^nd half

9/26: The State Studies/ The Power of Research

10/3: Conduct school library visit/ Interview (Instructor at AASL/Treasure Mountain- no formal class)

10/10: Building Influence, 1^st Half (4^th floor training room)

10/17: Building Influence, 2^nd Half

10/24: Advocacy and Marketing using the @ your Libraryª campaign

10/31: Writing for publication

11/7: Outreach to educational disciplines beyond teacher-librarianship

11/14: Political Advocacy (4^th floor training room)

11/21: Action Research

11/28: No Child Left Behind/ Your Principal and Advocacy

12/5: Presentations

About the Instructor:

Ann Ewbank holds a B.S.Ed. in social science and secondary education from Northern Arizona University and an M.A. in Information Resources and Library Science from the University of Arizona. She is a Ph.D. candidate in Arizona State UniversityÕs College of Education with a focus on language and literacy. Her research interests include teacher/action research and readersÕ advisory in the school library. AnnÕs teaching experience includes five years as a middle school teacher-librarian. She also has experience teaching high school and middle school social studies; high school ESL; middle school reading; adult basic education, ESL, and citizenship; teacher research methodologies and M.Ed. thesis direction; and community college-level education courses. Ann currently serves as the Chair of the Teacher-Librarian Division of the Arizona Library Association and serves as one of two Arizona delegates to the American Association of School LibrariansÕ Affiliate Assembly.

University of Arizona Policies:

Academic Code of Integrity

Students are expected to abide by The University of Arizona Code of Academic Integrity. 'The guiding principle of academic integrity is that a student's submitted work must be the student's own.' If you have any questions regarding what is acceptable practice under this Code, please ask an Instructor.

Accommodating Disabilities

The University has a Disability Resource Center. If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the Disability Resource Center and request that the DRC send me, the Instructor, official notification of your accommodation needs as soon as possible. Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate.

Incompletes

The 1997-8 University of Arizona General Academic Manual, p.23 reads

The grade of I may be awarded only at the end of a semester, when all but a minor portion of the course work has been satisfactorily completed. The grade of I is not to be awarded when the student is expected to repeat the course; in such a case the grade of E must be assigned. Students should make arrangements with the instructor to receive an incompete grade before the end of the semester ...

If the incomplete is not removed by the instructor within one year the I grade will revert to a failing grade.