AdvocacyThe Advocacy Portfolio exists to promote the role of school libraries, school librarians and needs of students at local, regional and national level. Advocacy can cover any area from a librarian advocating on behalf of their own school, to SLANZA representing school libraries at a national level.
Ten ways School Librarians improve literacy in schools
In this article from our cousins across the ditch, they note how "Teacher librarians in Australian schools are a valuable resource often taken for granted." If you're looking for a list of reasons why every school needs a librarian, reading the full article on The Conversation is a great place to start. 
Reading for happiness and wellbeing
"Mental health and wellbeing is one of those topics that historically has been talked about in hushed whispers of misinformation. Yet, one in five of us will experience mental illness or significant mental distress, and increasing numbers of children and young people are doing so. " With links to research and studies, this article touches on the importance of reading for happiness and wellbeing. Read about it here. 
Love of books at Cambridge school which once closed its library to make way for cyber café
A school which once closed its library has seen a resurgence in the love of paper-based literature. Read all about it here. Information Literacy Spaces - When change is good: what the expertise of a librarian can do for students' learning
A fantastic article from Information Literacy Spaces about the power of a trained and/or qualified school librarian. As quoted in the article, "... I really hope that one day very soon, all schools regardless of size or decile, have full time trained and qualified, and well remunerated School Librarians. This is one change alone - better pay and conditions - has the potential to change everything." Follow them on Twitter: @il_spaces Education Gazette article
Members of SLANZA's National Executive were interviewed by the Education Gazette. The resulting article “The transformation of school libraries” was published in the Gazette Focus issue 92.9 (4 June 2013). It highlights and promotes the many ways that school libraries - and librarians - contribute to student learning and achievement: helping develop readers, providing physical and virtual spaces with access to a diverse range of media and technology, fostering the use of IT tools to enhance learning, teaching critical thinking and information literacy skills, and so on. The publishers have kindly made it available for you to download from our website (see link at right). Parliamentary Select Committee Submission
SLANZA has made a submission to the Parliamentary Select Committee "Inquiry into 21st century learning environments and digital literacy". You can find the Terms of Reference for the inquiry online here, and SLANZA's submission is available here (pdf). We have appeared before the committee to speak to this submission, and will keep you informed of progress. Write to your Board of Trustees, Member of Parliament SLANZA provides this letter template which can be edited and sent to principals and senior management, Boards of Trustees, Members of Parliament and other political candidates. We suggest that you also include a copy of the article "Libraries belong at the heart of schools" available online in the August issue of the PPTA News, so both can be sent together to provide a comprehensive picture. |
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