CAN YOU SPARE A MINUTE TO SUPPORT SCHOOL LIBRARIES?


Please send an email to your state legislators to support the current school library bills introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives, HB4392, 4393, 4394.

EveryLibrary makes it very easy to do so; it only takes a minute.  

Go to:

https://www.saveschoollibrarians.org/3billsmichigan


April is School Library Month both nationally (http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/slm) & in Michigan (http://bit.ly/whitmerSLM19)!

So, it would be great if you could contact your legislator before the end of the month.

  

Please encourage family, friends, colleagues, etc. to also send emails.

Thank you to everyone who has already contacted their legislators!


As you most likely know, our students' reading scores are near the bottom nationally. Michigan is ranked 47th in the nation in the ratio of students to school librarians, and only 8% of our schools employ a full-time certified school librarian. Michigan students deserve better.


Certified school librarians:

  • Improve student reading achievement

  • Improve college and career readiness through teaching

    • Research skills

    • Digital Citizenship skills

  • Lead and support technology integration


BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

State Representatives Darrin Camilleri, Matt Koleszar, and Kristy Pagan introduced three bills on Thursday, March 14 to require schools in Michigan to have a school library staffed with a certified library media specialist as well as staff to keep the library open when the library media specialist is unavailable. See:

(https://housedems.com/article/dem-legislators-work-promote-improve-literacy)


MAME's advocacy committee has worked for several years to raise awareness of the critical need for effective school libraries and to have bills such as these introduced.


The representatives want to raise awareness of the need for equitable access to school libraries staffed by certified school librarians to help them in their efforts to secure funding.


Please send an email to [or call] your Michigan House Representative asking them to support these three bills --- HB 4392, 4393, 4394.  

Thank you, 

Michigan Association for Media in Education (MAME)

Advocacy Committee

Kathy Lester, Chair

Lisa Brakel

Carrie Betts

Tam Cummings

Amy Hermon

Klaudia Janek

Cat Kerns

Stephanie Luyt

Gwenn Marchesano

Shannon Torres

Cynthia Zervos



Kathy Lester, MLIS, MA
Advocacy Chair, Past-President 2014
Michigan Association for Media in Education (MAME)
Region 3 Director
American Association of School Librarians (AASL)
SIGLIB Communications Director
Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL)
School Library Media Specialist / Technology Coach
SL21 Model Library, 2017-2018
SL21 Exemplary Ranking - Michigan School Libraries for the 21st Century 2016-2019
East Middle School, Plymouth-Canton Schools
ISTE Making IT Happen Award Winner
2017 MAME Michigan School Library Program of the Year
2012 State Librarian's Excellence Award Winner
twitter: @LibraryL
810.333.5873
April is Michigan School Library Month!
Read Governor Whitmer's Proclamation