Teacher-Librariian Advocacy in

British Columbia
C
Jeff Yassinchuk
SD8 Koote
enay Lake

FACT: The role of the teacherlibrarian has changed

g
dramatically over the past
fifteen years...
fift

Two questions worth

h asking...
1.Have our proffessional
f
l
practices keptt pace with
the change?
2.How
2
How do we co
ontinue to
keep the teacherlibrarian role relevant in
our schools?

The teacher-liibrarian of the

21st century iss no longer just
a curator of books or a
champion of reading
litera
lit
acy...

Build Your Presence

e in Your School...
become an educational/currricular leader in your school
ask to attend (and present at) all department &
department head meetings; get on staff meeting agenda
and
d present every month
h
become indispensable to students and staff,
staff and be
prepared to do a bit of 'dirtyy work' from time to time
become the technology 'go-to' person in your school
align with colleagues that va
alue library services-collaborate together (young teachers are most ready)

Build Your Presence

e in Your District...
conduct regular TL meetings (Elluminate
(
is perfect)--build
support from the inside out
do a p
presentation to yyour board trustees: how TLs support
pp
learning and achievement for students (BCedplan)
develop a strong working relattionship with local media
do a p
presentation to yyour loca
al PVP association
local teacher-education progrram--work to develop a
relationship
l ti hi & offer
ff TL
TLs iin th
the
ere to
t presentt various
i
workshops to teachers-in-train
ning

in Your District

(continued)

volunteer
l
ffor district
di i commit
ittees (technology,
( h l
education,
d
i
planning, etc.)
continue to pressure your loccal chapter to explore avenues
(especially issues with contra
acting out); and keep them in
the loop
offer to volunteer on districtt committees (technology,
(technology
education, professional deve
elopment)

Get Connected & Get in the Loop

Become a member of BCTLA
Join BCTLA Ning
Join Teacher-Librarians Ning
g
JJoin
i Twitter
T itt follow
f ll
TL-relate
TL l ted
d hashtags
h ht g (#bctla
(#b tl #tlchat
#tl h t
#librarians #libchat #ala #iassl)
Join Voices for School Libraries Network
Others
Oh

BCTLA Advoccacy Avenues

Continue to gain support of BCTF
B
executive to work on
getting language back into co
ontract regarding TL FTE
Continue to develop
p BCTLA Ning
N g and expand
p
to include
members from other PSAs
E
Explore
l
opportunity
t it tto create
te stronger
t
relationship
l ti hi with
ith
BCCSL (Coalition for School Libraries)--parent
L
advocates
Explore avenues to promote TL role with instructors of
ate programs at master's level
administrative officer gradua

BCTLA (Continued)
U
Undertake
d
k efficacy
ffi
off advoca
d
acy research
h with
ihA
Arizona
i
State University researcher Ann
A Ewbank
Continue to develop working
g and advocacy relationship
with Washington Library Med
dia Association (WMLA)
(Washington State teacher-liibrarian association)
Join IASL-IFLA
IASL IFLA committee on international study to build a
school library resource kit fo
or teacher-librarians

Thank yo
ou!

Questions, Answers,
C
Comments,
Di
Discu
ussions,
i
and...
d

Jeff Yasinchuk

yasinchuk@hotmail.com
twitter.com/jyasinchuk
j y
jeffyasinchuk.net