For school librarians, summer is a time of rest and relaxation - and reading, of course! It can also be a time of immense stress, as many search for jobs after budget-driven layoffs or worry about what next year’s financial landscape will bring. If you fall into the latter category, you are not alone. This coming school year, my district faces its second override in 3 years. The last override passed by a handful of votes, and even if this year’s override passes, the revenue will be divided between the school district, DPW, and fire department, meaning personnel cuts are still a possibility.
Despite the increasing necessity of school librarians, our jobs are often first on the chopping block. If you’re nervous about your school library position, read on for strategies to learn the financial and political landscape of your district as well as advocate for yourself even in budgetary “peace time.”
If you don’t currently keep track of library and teaching statistics, now is the time to start. Statistics should not only reflect your collection but also the wide range of professional responsibilities and collaborations you undertake throughout the school year. What meetings do you attend? What collaborative lessons do you teach? What resources do you create? How often do you offer tech support for students and staff? What schoolwide programs or initiatives do you lead or support?
Of course, these statistics are only useful if you share them. Include key data points in emails to families and colleagues, and bring share a copy or summary of your stats with your evaluator. If you use social media for your school library, share some student-friendly stats there as well.
How collaboration looks in your role will depend on your schedule. But even if you teach on a fixed schedule, there are still ways you can collaborate across a variety of departments. Make a list of who you currently collaborate with. Who’s missing? Is there a certain department or grade level you could reach out to this year? What about other specialists or school counselors? Are there problems or ideas you hear teachers talking about that you could address?
If you haven’t yet chosen a professional goal for this year (whether for a formal evaluation or for personal documentation), pick a person or group you want to collaborate with and start brainstorming. What is their role? How do your curriculums or areas of focus overlap? How can you connect with them, either formally or informally?
For more collaboration ideas, check out these articles from my school year series, Notes from the Circ Desk:
Collaborating with your local public library on summer reading signups and library card month is a great place to start. If you work in an elementary school, can you bring in government officials, folks from the senior center, or first responders for a story or program? Are there organizations in your community that you can support through drives or fundraisers? Any cultural groups that you could connect with for a program? As an educator who works with all (or most) students in your building, you have the ability to serve as a bridge between school and community life.
I will add a necessary caveat to this section: making yourself indispensable does NOT mean burning yourself out or taking on more than you have time for. Instead, think about ways to increase your visibility and involvement in important school processes that connect with your job description. Is the library a central hub for standardized testing? How can you support the test administrator? Are there clubs or groups that you can advise or host, like book club or library volunteers? Does your school have a leadership team, and how can you share your insights with them? Or better yet, join the team? Is there a “Sunshine Committee” or other group that supports staff through life milestones or organizes bonding activities? Are there ways you can get staff excited about reading? This isn’t about biting off more than you can chew - it’s about making yourself and your position part of the fabric of the school.
Like the point above, supporting school and district goals (and sharing how you do so) solidifies your role within the school. This year, my school is pulling back on chromebooks to limit distraction and be more intentional about educational technology. Students will keep chromebooks at school. Students who do not have a device at home can borrow a chromebook from the library. My principal and I are working out a system for monitoring student use of this resource, preventing misuse, and identifying students who may have fewer resources at home. Maybe your school is focusing on SEL, supporting English Learners, or educating students about hate and bias. Keep an ear out during faculty meetings or read school improvement plans, then set up a meeting with your admin to ask how your work can support school goals.
I am a person who, if I don’t know information, likes to know WHEN I’m going to know it. Learn your district’s budgeting process and the dates by which administrators typically share information about potential staffing cuts. This information can provide a focused timeline for advocacy efforts with your building admin. If you know your principal must submit initial budget requests by December, share a report or ask to meet about the impact of your program in the fall.
School committee members are the obvious players here, but your district’s budget and priorities are influenced in other ways. How does your district’s city/ town government work? Who are the major players? (Your union leader is a great source of info - more on that later.) Are there particularly vocal or involved parents that you could tap for support? Think about parent volunteers, school council members, PTO/PTA leaders, even particularly active posters in the parents’ Facebook group. Sharing your program’s impact with a wide variety of players could make a huge difference.
This past year, I served on our union’s contract negotiations committee. The negotiations took WAY longer than I’d hoped, but it was a valuable opportunity for me to connect with educators across the district as well as school committee members and district officials. I learned the ins and outs of school committee’s budget decisions, educated several folks about my role, and by virtue of serving on the committee, demonstrated that librarians are here to support ALL teachers. You do not need to serve on a committee or executive board to connect with your union, though. Attend social events and connect with your building or grade level reps. On your own or together with other district librarians, share your concerns with the union and strategize how to make admin see your impact on student learning.
If you’re looking for advocacy strategies or ways to grow your program, tap into the hive mind! If you have a library department in your district, reach out on a regular basis. Join AASL and your state’s school library association. Follow school librarian social media pages, blogs, and Substacks. Connect with other types of librarians to learn what’s out there. Librarians are some of the best people out there, and we’re here for each other.
Some school librarian Substacks I love:
How do you advocate for your school library program? What advice would you give a school librarian with job security on their mind? Share in the comments below!
Checking out,
Jennie 🧡
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