School libraries have been changing for some time. Just as the way society consumes media, libraries have shifted to reflect the very new needs of student populations of all ages. While books remain an essential part of every school library, most have additional needs that are not always recognized within funding shifts.
The New Needs of School Libraries
The biggest shift in a library these days is the new focus on technology. While you might still pull a picture book off of a shelf to read to elementary students, the chances are good that you won’t be pulling an encyclopedia off of a shelf to help a high school student with a research paper. As a result, the library budget often has to focus on something more than new books. Instead, it has to focus on the acquisition of technology and the furniture to support that technology.
Library desks, once little more than study carrels, now need to be fully featured to include lighting and technology hookups, both for internet connections and the power sources necessary to run everything from laptops and tablets to ebooks and smartphones. Today’s library desks even have to include ergonomic options to help ensure student comfort during long research sessions.
Getting The Funding
Unfortunately, updating things like library desks and other library furniture isn’t always a high priority for the board or administrators, despite its necessity. How can you make sure you get the bucks necessary to get those new desks or other furniture pieces that are so supportive of a technologically rich library? This quick guide can help.
- Set Your Goals Carefully: You have a specific goal in mind – impacting student learning and supporting the staff in your building or district. The more specific your goal and the more tied it is to overall instructional standards in your district, the better the chance you have at getting the money you need most for that furniture. Root your goals in the curriculum standards your district relies on for everything else. Grab the data necessary to prove how helpful this kind of update might be within your library.
- Align Your Entire Plan: Once you’ve set your goals, make sure your plan is aligned with your overall plan for the year. If you’ve written a mission statement for your library, update it to reflect your new goals. For example, if you’re trying to focus on getting the desks and other furniture you need, you might want to align your technology enabled learning environment goal with other goals in your instructional plan.
- Market: You’re never going to get what you want without a bit of marketing on your part. Be sure to put your goals out there in the newsletter, on school approved social media, and even through spaces like the teachers’ lounge. The more times you send out the message, the more likely it is to stick. While you probably don’t want something like “Let’s get library desks!” to come across, you may want to push an idea like “Let’s Electronically Collaborate” then push the idea of what you’ll need to do that.
Updating your school library may not be easy, but it is possible. Learn how to make it happen when you contact us today.