Numbers talk...

When people come into your library, what do they see?  Is it a busy place full of students? Are you working with teachers on their lessons? Do they see students approaching you for help? 

Every school library should look like this, and most libraries today do because we live in the information age.  How does that translate into institutional value? Often it doesn't.  Administrators and community members don't understand the value of libraries because they haven't seen what you do, don't have time for a visit and are worried about things like test scores.  If you want your program to be seen as valuable you have to talk the same language as your administrators and community members.  Words like circulation, Ethernet cable, T1, LCD, database usage, check-outs, cataloging and OPAC mean nothing to people outside the library.  So how do you communicate if you're not speaking the same language?

In most civilizations (or tribes if you will) the first communication between two groups is a trade or barter and to do this effectively, you provide an equal number of goods.  Once numeracy rates are settled upon you know what you have to bring to the table in order to get an equitable trade. 

Your first meeting with the head of your school is a similar dance. You find out what they know about what you do and what this administrator perceives as added value.  Administrators are generally not given tours of libraries during their training. Their courses are in curriculum, education reform, school law, school finance, education technology, statistical analysis of data, assessment and evaluation.  Do you see libraries in this list?  No? 

I'll give you a hint: most librarians perform monthly statistical analysis of library data when they pull the numbers from their databases, catalogs and room usage.  You do speak the same language! Well, part of it anyway.  Use your numbers to create a report on library and technology usage that lets your principal see what you do, when you do it and how it adds value to your school. 

Don't be afraid to make correlations. Is circulation up in the library?  Are reading scores? If the answer is yes to both questions, make that point! Is circulation down, are reading scores? Use that to emphasize the importance of libraries to reading. Reports should be narrative, emphasize numerical information, indicate problems, propose solutions, be easy to read (no more than three pages), graphics are good and most importantly they should reflect who you are, what you do and how you add value to the school. 

An administrator does not have time to read all of your data, so put it in charts and graphs.  Add pictures of students in their library media center to the report.  Keep it simple and clean.  Not sure if it's ready? Read it.  Does your report start with a narrative? Does it contain a strong body of data?  Did you include both opportunities and threats in your analysis?  What do you foresee happening from this information for next year? In five years?

Remember that you have value, and that students need you.  How do you help with student learning?

-AMA