[Michlib-l] Call to Action: Michigan School Libraries!

[Lester, Kathy]

MAME's Advocacy Committee needs your help!

*Please send a letter to your Michigan Representative.*
*EveryLibrary has made it easy to do so at this link:*
https://www.saveschoollibrarians.org/3billsmichigan
It only takes one minute to do so.

We need to fill our representatives in-boxes to let them know the
importance of school libraries staffed with certified school librarians for
our students and school communities!
As you most likely know, our students' reading scores are near the bottom
nationally.  Michigan is ranked 47th in the nation in the ratio of students
to school librarians, and only 8% of our schools employ a full-time school
librarian.   Our students deserve better.

Thus, it is important to contact your representative. You can follow up
your email with an email to meet with your representative.  The legislature
will be on break during the weeks of March 25th and April 1st, thus, this
would be a great time to meet with them locally as they will be working "in
district" during that time.
{Or you could send *one* email to request support and a meeting by copying
and personalizing this sample email
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DnsOybPVb_GhPrVrXGIQzIOvNuedo3xe1oqPmz5aAQY/edit?usp=sharing>,
instead of sending the EveryLibrary email with follow-up}
*I**f you need support or talking points for a meeting, please let the MAME
advocacy committee know.*

*BACKGROUND INFORMATION:*

State Representatives Darrin Camilleri, Matt Koleszar, and Kristy Pagan
introduced three bills on Thursday, March 14 to require schools in Michigan
to have a school library staffed with a certified library media specialist
as well as staff to keep the library open when the library media specialist
is unavailable. See:

(https://housedems.com/article/dem-legislators-work-promote-improve-literacy
)

MAME's advocacy committee has worked for several years to raise awareness
of the critical need for effective school libraries and to have bills such
as these introduced.

The representatives want to raise awareness of the need for equitable
access to school libraries staffed by certified school librarians to help
them in their efforts to secure funding.

Please send a letter to [or call] your Michigan House Representative asking
them to support these three bills --- HB 4392, 4393, 4394.

Thank you,

Michigan Association for Media in Education (MAME)

Advocacy Committee

Kathy Lester, Chair

Lisa Brakel

Carrie Betts

Tam Cummings

Amy Hermon

Klaudia Janek

Cat Kerns

Stephanie Luyt

Gwenn Marchesano

Shannon Torres

Cynthia Zervos


Kathy Lester, MLIS, MA
*Advocacy Chair, Past-President 2014*
Michigan Association for Media in Education (MAME)
*Region 3 Director*
American Association of School Librarians (AASL)
*SIGLIB Communications Director*
Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL)
*School Library Media Specialist / Technology Coach*
*SL21 Model Library, 2017-2018*
*SL21 Exemplary Ranking - Michigan School Libraries for the 21st Century
2016-2019*
East Middle School, Plymouth-Canton Schools
*ISTE Making IT Happen Award Winner*
*2017 MAME Michigan School Library Program of the Year*
*2012 **State Librarian's Excellence Award Winner*
kathyL at mimame.org
twitter: @LibraryL <https://twitter.com/LibraryL>
810.333.5873
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