PA School Library Project

My friends at the Education Law Center in Philadelphia are working diligently to not only get legislation in Pennsylvania passed which would require all schools to have libraries, but to also present research on why libraries are so important.

The PA School Library Project is going to have national researchers compiling quantitative and qualitative data on school libraries in Pennsylvania, and one part of that work is a survey for school librarians that will be sent out in March.


They’re hoping to get as many school librarians as possible to sign up to take the survey. So if you read this blog, check it out, and send to other librarians you know!


Here are the details:


Sign up to be part of the NEW Statewide Research by Keith Curry Lance & Colleagues

If you have not yet signed up, do so today! It only takes a few minutes.

Be a part of a landmark PA research study being conducted by Keith Curry Lance and RSL Research Group, Colorado. School librarians whose students take PSSA tests are being asked to sign up themselves and a few teachers and administrators with whom they work to take an opinion-based, 10-minute survey this spring. This is the final week to sign up!

FAQs

Why does the survey require teachers and administrators?

Teachers and administrators (principals, assistant principals, superintendents, curriculum coordinators, etc.) with whom you work are needed to ensure “competence of respondent”; in other words, the survey takers need to have some knowledge of a how school librarians and school library programs operate to teach and enhance 21st century skills. They don’t have to be experts!

What kind of questions will be on the survey?

There will be three separate surveys—one for librarians, one for teachers, and one for administrators. A link will be sent to all individuals signed up by librarians in March. Survey takers will be asked about their job positions and their perceptions of school library programs in teaching 21st Century Learner and Common Core Standards. The questions are opinion-based and will not require data collection.

How do I sign up myself, some teachers and administrators?

The sign up form is in Survey Monkey. You only need to include names and emails. Go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/26L2793. However, it is suggested that you let the people you sign up know that they will be receiving an email about taking the survey in a week or so.

What happens after I sign up people to take the survey?

In March, everyone whose email address has been entered in the Survey Monkey form, including yourself, will receive a link to either a librarian, teacher, or administrator survey which will take no longer than 10 minutes to answer.

Why is this study important?

This research is essential to a federally-funded study being conducted in Pennsylvania correlating qualities of good school library programs to higher PSSA tests scores, updating the research Dr. Lance performed in 1999-2000, called Measuring Up to Standards. It does not duplicate last year’s PA State Board Study but adds qualitative information compared to last year's quantitative approach. Taking the research one step further, Lance and his associates will attempt to cost out the infrastructure needed to improve student academic success through school library programs and the gap that exists in Pennsylvania.



Here's my personal plug too:


Keith Curry Lance does amazing research on the importance of school libraries. I use his research all the time in support of Library Build!

CBS and Meetings

Hi Library Build Followers -

My blog posts have been a bit fewer and farther between, but that's because there has been quite a lot of background work to be done.

I have been having meetings with Rowen's principal, and trying desperately to buy/ get insurance sorted out for Library Build (will have it soon!), and I have been sending out a lot of Fellows applications!

Late last week I also got an email from CBS Nightly News (yes, national), who had discovered Library Build's story in the Inquirer!! I talked to the producer for a long while about it, and while she said that LB was too small for their purposes, she was very excited to stay in touch. Amazing. :)

All in all, we are still on track to have the Rowen library completed by August 2012 - with the grand opening in September 2012!

Opportunities to Get Involved

Now that MLK Day is behind us, Library Build is developing numerous ways that everyone can get involved, or stay involved!

1. Help us out with the Librarian Advisory Council! Please pass this opportunity along to other librarians that you may know or work with! This is a very important part of our mission, and we would really like more librarians to get involved!

2. Library Fellows! Application is now live and open! Check out our listing on Drexel's website: Job Listing . Please pass this opportunity along to others you know or work with! Our first fellows will work in Rowen School in Philadelphia!

Questions?

calliehammond@librarybuild.org

Library, Library, Library

Sorry, couldn't think of a great title for this post - and since I feel like all I think about are libraries, it seemed relevant.

First of all, here's another push for librarians to apply to our Librarian Advisory Council - we really need your help! Actually - the kids in Philadelphia really need your help. So if you know anyone who is a librarian, please send out link out to them, and let them know what we are doing.

Second, I am working on a tentative book about the history of libraries, and school libraries, in the US, the decrease in funding, and what people can do to support their libraries. Its been a lot of research, but I have learned so much just within the last few days that I had no idea about previously. Great stuff out there about American libraries!

Third, unfortunately, the School District of Philadelphia, in valid attempts to end their budget gap, has announced that weekend programming may be on the chopping block - meaning that any Saturday work/volunteer days I was hoping to have at Rowen will not be happening. Obviously I don't want this to happen... but I also realize the dire straights that the district is in. What a horrible situation...

Finally, thanks to everyone who has given me encouraging words recently! Sometimes being the unpaid head of a small nonprofit is not nearly as much fun as it sounds!


Happy Tuesday night!

NJ Social Innovation Institute

I've been away from the blog for a bit, but for good reason!

Library Build (and me) was accepted to the New Jersey Social Innovation Institute held at Rutgers University Business School!

The program is six months long, and is a social enterprise/innovation incubator. I am working on the Library Build business plan, and considering innovative concepts to roll into what we already have going on with Library Build. Overall, it will be great!

I went to the first day today, and am already considering all the things I heard and learned - whew!

I will definitely have more updates as I progress!

Yes, I am short.