Session 7: Championing the library

Introduction

In previous sessions, you have looked at how, as a school librarian, it is beneficial to promote your library and embed literacy through marketing and public relations. This can raise the profile of your library throughout the school and remind both colleagues and students of your offering and the work you do. More widely, you should also look to promote the library profession as a whole, as this provides support to other librarians who often work alone or in small teams.

By gaining membership of professional organisations such as CILIP, attending events, and following blogs or social media profiles, you will be able to network with fellow librarians and keep abreast of developments in the field. These organisations will, in turn, promote the benefits of libraries on your behalf through professional events and campaigns, such as the Great School Libraries campaign [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .

To raise your libraries profile and the library profession as a whole, the professional organisation of which you are a member may send representatives to a conference targeted at, for example, teachers; whether this involves manning stands in the main conference area or taking part in fringe events, these representatives can advocate for the profession in settings librarians may not ordinarily find themselves in. In turn, you yourself can give back by speaking at conferences, serving on committees, writing articles, or delivering training to fellow librarians and colleagues within your school. These present the perfect opportunity to develop professionally and share your ideas amongst your peers.

By the end of this session, you should be able to:

• understand why championing the library is important and how it can help you establish and sustain your library’s goals
• develop effective channels of communication
• keep abreast of new developments in the library sector and know where to find support.