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* kathyL@mimame.org twitter: @LibraryL <https://twitter.com/LibraryL> 810.333.5873 April is Michigan School Library Month! Read Governor Whitmer's Proclamation <https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/0,9309,7-387-90499_90639-492654--,00.html>