Resources for School Librarians - Index

Library Promotion

General Web Sites

• @ Your Library - Promotional materials for many types of libraries from the American Library Association.
• Advocacy: Promotion, Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing - A guide to planning your library promotion event from the School of Library and Information Science at Indiana University/Purdue University.
• The Library Advocate's Handbook - A very useful tool for anyone planning a campaign to promote a library. This handbook is by the American Library Association.
• Legislator@Your Library Campaign - This is an activity by the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association to encourage state legislators to visit school libraries. This plan surely could be adopted by other states.
• Marketing Our Library - Links from LibrarySupportStaff.Com.
• I Love Libraries - Library news and advocacy by the ALA.
• The Parent Outreach Toolkit - Ideas for parents who wish to promote the school library. From the AASL.
• A Communications Handbook for Libraries - This handbook, free from ALA, will help you to promote your library and work effectively with the media. The handbook is in pdf format.
• The School Library Link - A free monthly newsletter for the parents of elementary school students. School librarians may download the pdf file, print it out and send it home with their students.
• Friends of Libraries USA - Promotional ideas
• British Columbia Coalition for School Libraries
• School Libraries Making a Difference - British campaign to promote school libraries.

Special Events

• National Library Week
• School Library Media Month - April.
• Get Caught Reading - Reading promotion campaign by the Association of American Publishers.
• Teen Read Week - The third week of October.
• The Teen Read Week Wiki
• Teen Tech Week - YALSA sponsored library technology promotion.
• Kids@Your Library - Library promotion by ALSC.
• Read Across America - Reading promotion by the NEA.
• International Literacy Day - September 8th. A day to recognize the importance of literacy for all ages.
• Library Lover's Month - February is Library Lover's Month. Take a look at these library promotion ideas from Friends of California Libraries.

Advocacy

• The AASL Advocacy Toolkit
• School Library Advocacy Letter - Sample letter which you may use to write to your local newspaper. From the AASL.
• Advocacy - An excellent introduction to advocacy by the Library Media Specialist program at IUPUI.
• Library Advocacy - A brochure of helpful information in pdf format. This is by the Illinois Library Association.
• Advocacy Brochures and Documents - by the Kansas Association of School Librarians.
• AASL Crisis Toolkit - Help if your program is in danger of being eliminated.

Graphics and Bulletin Boards

• Bulletin Board Ideas - From Kim's Korner for Teachers.
• Bulletin Board Ideas - from Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators.
• "From "Pretty" to Practical: Using Bulleting Boards to Teach - An article by Education World.
• American Library Association Store - Posters and other promotional items.
• Demco Library and Reading Promotion Materials
• Read DOCS Campaign - Government documents librarians produced their own Read posters in the style of the ALA posters. Maybe this site may give you some ideas for doing the same.
• Public Libraries Using Spanish - This site has a wealth of useful Spanish language materials such as signs, bookmarks, and the translated Dewey Decimal system. It also has survival Spanish for librarians.
• Marketing for Libraries - Free resources from Gale.

Library Promotion - Books

These books may be ordered in a secure online environment from Amazon.Com

• Creating Newsletters, Brochures, and Pamphlets: A How-To-Do-It Manual (How to Do It Manuals for School and Public Librarians, No. 2) - by Barbara Radke Blake and Barbara L. Stein, Neal-Schuman, 1992.
• Public Relations for School Library Media Programs - 500 Ways to Influence people and win friends for your school Library Media Center by Helen F. Flowers, Neal-Schuman, 1998
• Library Public Relations, Promotions, and Communications - by Lisa A. Wolfe. Published by Neal-Schuman, 2003.
• Powerful Public Relations: A How-To Guide for Libraries - by Rashelle S. Karp. Published by ALA, 2002.
• The Visible Librarian: Asserting Your Value With Marketing and Advocacy - by Judith A. Seiss, ALA, 2003.
• Bulletin Boards and Displays: Good Ideas for Librarians and Teachers - Gayle Skaggs. Published by MacFarlane, 1993.

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This site is maintained by Linda Bertland, retired school librarian, Philadelphia, PA. Please address any comments, additions, or corrections to info@sldirectory.com.