RE: [ha-Safran]: School Library Effectiveness Does NOT Make
I strongly believe that we should hire a PR professional to help us. After all, the whole point is that people don't recognize us as professionals and don't know what we do! Let's get someone who does this kind of thing as a profession. Madeleine Cohen Oakley Director of Library Services Adas Israel Congregation Washington, DC Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) === Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
RE: [ha-Safran]: School Library Effectiveness Does NOT Make
Yes! We want people to ask us to do what we know best; we should be seeking a professional in this field. Madeleine Cohen Oakley Director of Library Services Adas Israel Congregation Washington, DC Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) === Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
Re: [ha-Safran]: School Library Effectiveness Does NOT Make
Absolutely, Abigail. Many of us are in the same situation. Possibly a liaison with other organizations would boos our effectiveness to facilitate change. Susan Dubin Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) === Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
RE: [ha-Safran]: School Library Effectiveness Does NOT Make
We, AJL, should consider working with a strategic thinker/planner on Jewish communal organizations, to develop a plan for positioning. I think there is much to learn from nextbook, jewish book council, let's speak with the christian org. and the catholic libraries, and others. Abigail Yasgur Abigail Yasgur, M.L.S., Director Jewish Community Library of Los Angeles "promoting Jewish literacy" www.jclla.org [EMAIL PROTECTED] Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) === Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
Re: [ha-Safran]: School Library Effectiveness Does NOT Make
Keep speaking, a film is good, spread the word, etc. but from my perspective nothing beats just being out there (if you've got the personality for it, to push the Library agenda) it means networking and collaborating and building relationships with many other institutions so they notice when you are NOT at the table. It has to mean being willing to explore a future without books and libraries as we know them, because that idea is on the table. Abigail Yasgur Abigail Yasgur, M.L.S., Director Jewish Community Library of Los Angeles "promoting Jewish literacy" www.jclla.org [EMAIL PROTECTED] Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) === Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
Re: [ha-Safran]: School Library Effectiveness Does NOT Make
a Difference X-Original-To: Hasafran@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 7.1.0.9 X-Spam-Score: 0.00 () [Tag at 5.00] X-CanItPRO-Stream: lists X-Canit-Stats-ID: Bayes signature not available X-Scanned-By: CanIt (www . roaringpenguin . com) on 128.146.216.89 X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN I totally agree. Some of us have been speaking at other conferences for years as unofficial AJL representatives, but it is time for AJL to make this official and actively solicit people to present at other conferences. Many years ago a proposal was made to make a short film about what librarians do. Maybe this is a job for our PR committee to investigate? I wrote an article for this newsletter that I hope people will feel free to copy and distribute. Do we have anyone willing to write for some of the non-library publications? Have we identified them? I hope that the task force on this topic will consider all of your ideas and start to come up with a concrete plan of action. Suzi Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) === Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
RE: [ha-Safran]: School Library Effectiveness Does NOT Make
a Difference X-Original-To: Hasafran@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 7.1.0.9 X-Spam-Score: 0.00 () [Tag at 5.00] X-CanItPRO-Stream: lists X-Canit-Stats-ID: Bayes signature not available X-Scanned-By: CanIt (www . roaringpenguin . com) on 128.146.216.21 X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN I think that cost cutting is a symptom of the problem but not the problem itself. Almost every non-profit and public organization is faced at times with cutting costs. Budgeting, after all, is a way of allocating scarce resources. The problem is why decision-makers so often choose libraries as the first place to cut costs. Why are libraries perceived as so non-essential, especially in light of all the research? Why did Cleveland's modern Orthodox day school, the largest Jewish day school in the area, go from funding a full time professional librarian, to a part time professional librarian, to a part time non-professional "librarian," to no librarian at all - all in the space of a few years? Their full-time librarian was outstanding but she left Jewish libraries altogether when her hours were cut in half. Why are school libraries, including those in synagogues, so totally ignored not only by the denominational organizations of which they are a part as well as by the major Jewish educational organizations, such as CAJE, JESNA, and PEJE? Why are Jewish libraries (and AJL) so totally ignored by the Jewish Book Council, which it would be reasonable to expect to act as the first line of support for Jewish libraries? Why does a children's book about synagogues, written recently by Hara Person, the editor-in-chief of URJ's publications, include not a word about synagogue libraries? Why does a manual for Jewish teachers, published a few years ago to great fan fare by Nechama Moskowitz of the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, contain just a few passing references to school libraries in its many hundreds of pages? Why does AJL remain so passive in the midst of a clear crisis? Why has no one proposed a 2008 convention session on a topic relating to this issue? (That's a hint!) Years ago, Ether Lubetsky talked about the need for AJL and Jewish librarians to reach out to Jewish educational organizations and decision-makers. This would be the first step toward a remedy. When Jewish communal leaders and educational decision-makers are barely aware of Jewish libraries and probably totally ignorant of AJL, why would we expect them to support an educational service (libraries) that falls under their radar screens? It seems to me that a big public relations effort aimed at the Jewish educational establishment is needed, aimed at placing school libraries among the mix of educational services that are taken for granted to be non-expendable. A film about Jewish libraries, with a strong section on school library service, and their benefits should be sponsored by AJL and distributed to schools, bureaus, and federations, accompanied by a discussion manual and some prior training for the persons showing the films to groups. A second remedy is for AJL to either conduct its own research into Jewish school library effectiveness (by raising the funds that would enable it to retain a researcher recognized by the Jewish community) or to pursuade one of the above mentioned organizations to conduct, publish, and disseminate it. And to publish an article about Jewish libraries every now and then in their journals. (AJL members need to start writing, taking photos, and submitting them to Jewish journals.) A third remedy would be for AJL's leaders to step up, speaking out and being spokespersons for Jewish libraries, getting appointed to the boards of Jewish communal agencies, speaking at conferences, establishing measurable goals toward obtaining support for Jewish libraries, reporting several times a year to the membership on their activities (What ever happened to that task force on advocacy that was supposedly created earlier this year? Who are its members? What is it doing?), and developing a clear set of strategies for professors of education, school librarians, AJL's own scholars, and other members to implement as the need/opportunity arises. Like AASL, AJL can deplore the situation and wring its hands. Or it can re-invent itself as an activist organization that responds, and inspires its members to respond, to the threats and opportunities that confront Jewish libraries. For an all-volunteer group, this is a big order but I believe it can and must be done. Linda R. Silver Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) === Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs
Re: [ha-Safran]: School Library Effectiveness Does NOT Make
a Difference X-Original-To: Hasafran@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 7.1.0.9 X-Spam-Score: 0.00 () [Tag at 5.00] X-CanItPRO-Stream: lists X-Canit-Stats-ID: Bayes signature not available X-Scanned-By: CanIt (www . roaringpenguin . com) on 128.146.216.89 X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN Unfortunately, Linda is correct. All the evidence overwhelmingly cites school libraries as directly affecting student achievement, yet this information has been ignored. Funding is the crucial issue. Although schools and synagogues pay lip service to the ideals of education, they are faced with the hard reality of cutting costs; and, the library seems to be the place where they choose to cut. I would welcome any suggestions of how to remedy this situation! Susan Dubin Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) === Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
