AASL offers these position statements as benchmarks or reference points for practitioners and school library administrators who are working to build campus and district programs of excellence. These include 3 posted new in 2019 to further clarify excellence in school libraries as we work to participate in ESSA planning as well as other funding and staffing plans.
American Association of School Librarians. "Appropriate Staffing for School Libraries." Revised 22 June 2019. PDF file.
"Definition for Effective School Library Program." 11 November 2018. PDF file.
"ESSA Updates." KnowledgeQuest. ALA/AASL, n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2016.
"Instructional Role of the School Librarian." 25 June 2016. PDF file.
"Position Statement on Diversity in the organization." 8 Jan 2011. PDF file.
"Position Statement on School Library Scheduling." Revised June 2019. PDF file.
"Position Statement on the Role of the School Librarian in Reading Development." AASL. ALA, n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2016. Revised 9/1/2010.
"Position Statement on the School Librarian's Role in Reading." AASL. ALA, n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2016. Revised 9/1/2010.
"Preparation of School Librarians." Revised 25 June 2016. PDF file.
"Role of the School Library." Revised June 2019. PDF file.
"Strategic Leadership Role of School Librarians." 24 June 2018. PDF file.
AASL also offers Toolkits that gather resources and method suggestions to advise campus librarians and their communities as they work to strengthen campus and district school libraries.
"Parent Advocate Toolkit." AASL. ALA, n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2016.
"Toolkit for Promoting School Library Programs." AASL. ALA, 2015. Web. 1 Aug. 2016.
Infographics offer school library advocates and the larger community great tools to explain what we do and why we work so hard in support of our students.
AASL. "School Librarians Transform Learning." American Libraries. Sept/Oct 2014. PDF file.
AASL. "Strong School Libraries Build Strong Students." 2013. PDF file.
Everhart, Nancy. "100 Things Kids Will Miss if They Don't Have a School Librarian in Their School." 2013. PDF file.
Hand, Dorcas. "Advocacy Pyramid." Sept. 2015. PDF file.
This variety of articles offers advocates both data and methods to demonstrate to administrators and communities why school libraries matter.
ALA. "School Libraries: College and Career Readiness = Reading Rigor." State of America’s Libraries Report, 2015. ALA, 2015. Web. 1 Aug. 2016.
Barack, Lauren. "Study Ties College Success to Students’ Exposure to a High School Librarian." Digital Shift. Library Journal, 20 Sept. 2014. Web. 1 Aug. 2016.
Johns, Sara Kelly. "What Can Teacher-Librarians Do to Promote Their Work and the School Library Media Program? Offensive Formula P+M=A." Teacher Librarian, Dec. 2008; 36,2; p.30.
Kachel, Debra. "Inviting Legislators into School Libraries." Cover Story. InfoToday, Mar.-Apr. 2011. Web. 1 Aug. 2016.
Kachel, Debra, editor. "School Library Advocacy LibGuide." Antioch University - Seattle LibGuides.
Lamb, Annette, and Larry Johnson, eds. "Advocacy: The Teacher Librarian as Advocate." The School Library Media Specialist. eduscapes, n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2016.
Library Research Service. "School Libraries and Student Achievement." 2013. PDF file.
Little, Hannah Byrd. "Four Steps to Self-Advocacy." KQ. AASL, 7 Oct. 2015. Web. 1 Aug. 2016.
Moran, Mark. "Young Learners Need Librarians, Not Just Google." Forbes. Forbes, 22 Mar. 2010. Web. 1 Aug. 2016.