Action is Eloquence (Shakespeare, Coriolanus) is my professional mantra, nowhere more so than when it comes to advocacy. On this page I share my ideas through video, articles, blog posts and presentations.
Videos
Advocacy Approaches: A summary of the progression of school library advocacy approaches, and advice from the experts. The first of two videos.
Anita’s Top 10 Action Advocacy Tips: We all own it! Tips for school library advocacy across organizations and across the profession. The second of two videos.
Articles
Aspirations and Opportunities: Advocacy for School Library Programs. Canadian Children’s Book News 38(3), Summer 2015. A publication of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.
The Future Now: A Powerful Tool for Advancing the School Library Learning Commons in Canada
School Libraries in Canada, Volume 33, Issue 2 (2015)
http://clatoolbox.ca/casl/slicv33n2/332brookskirkland.html
From the President: Value, Influence, Positioning: Advocacy by a New Name
Open Shelf, Ontario Library Association (2014)
http://www.open-shelf.ca/value-influence-positioning/
Action is Eloquence: Advocacy Advice for School Libraries. School Libraries in Canada Volume 30 Issue 1 (2012)
http://clatoolbox.ca/casl/slicv30n1/301brookskirkland.html
Blog Posts
Library Day at Queen’s Park 2015 (November 26, 2015)
Doug – Off the Record: An Interview with Anita Brooks Kirkland (April 16, 2015)
Ontario Needs Teacher-Librarians (March 15, 2015)
Library Day at Queen’s Park (November 27, 2014)
RSC Expert Panel: Recommendations for School Libraries (November 13, 2014)
Libraries Change Lives (April 21, 2014)
Leveraging Libraries for Ontario’s Education Future (September 30, 2013)
Getting the Message Right (January 12, 2013)
Imagine Your Library (August 17, 2012)
Super Conference Reflections: Leadership & Advocacy (February 11, 2012)
From Advocacy to Action (February 5, 2012, reposted from November 7, 2010)
Presentations
Ontario Library Association Super Conference 2017: Soapbox 3.0: Action Advocacy for School Libraries
Once upon a time advocacy came from the soapbox: you know, the “You’d better like us because we’re good for you” approach. We’ve since learned that advocacy means demonstrating value, with clear evidence of the school library program’s impact on student learning. Action advocacy for school libraries, “Soapbox 3.0”, takes us a step further, with powerful and practical strategies for demonstrating program value, cultivating relationships to extend our influence, and positioning school libraries to lead learning for the future. Value, Influence, Positioning (VIP) moves from telling to participating, and to connecting with peers, influencers and decision-makers. In this session we’ll explore resources and tools to make connections at every level, starting at your school. Action advocacy is hands on, so be prepared to roll up your sleeves and collaborate on practical strategies to make the action advocacy VIP connection.
Additional Resources
American Association of School Librarians (AASL/ALA): Advocacy
Association of Library Services for Children (ALSC/ALA): Everyday Advocacy
Australian School Library Association: Advocacy
Doug Johnson (2016). Blast From The Past (BFTP): 4 Rules of Library Advocacy
International Federation of Library Association (IFLA): School Library Advocacy Kit
I Love Libraries: An Initiative of the American Library Association
Neil Gaiman (2013). Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming.
Ontario Library Association: School Library Advocacy