A big thank you to MACUL President, Pamela Shoemaker, who was the first person to sign the declaration!   

Also, thank you to MACUL for graciously giving MAME free space in the MACUL Zone in the exhibits area of the conference. MAME used that space to hold a "Declaration for the Right to Libraries" signing.

MAME had the Declaration for the Right to Libraries available as well as three infographics:

1)  School Libraries in Michigan (from MAME & the Library of Michigan);  

2)  Strong School Libraries Build Strong Students (from AASL)

3) Librarians as Tech Leaders (from SLJ)

MAME volunteers had copies of the declaration on clipboards and spoke with MACUL attendees about the importance of school libraries.  MAME collected 490 signatures which will be passed on to ALA for use during National Library Legislative Day and other advocacy.  In addition, copies will be used in our own advocacy efforts in Michigan.  The conversations with MACUL attendees were a great starter in making other educators aware of the state of school libraries in Michigan.

Educators were very supportive of the effort and most were willing to sign.  The only people who refused to sign were those that said they do not like to sign anything.  Educators that lost school librarians in the buildings said "yes, we need them back!!"  Those that have school librarians with reduced hours in their buildings want them back full time.  Talking to people about what is happening in buildings where there is no library staff is sad -- some have closed and locked their libraries; some have allowed teachers to take what books they like to their classrooms and have basically dismantled the library; some allow teachers to check out books to students and have volunteers to shelve books; some have volunteers come in to check out and shelf books a few hours per week; etc.  MAME members were able to discuss that a high quality school library is much MORE than checking out books.  A high quality school library needs a certified school librarian / media specialist to keep the library vibrant and meeting the changing needs of staff and students.  Program administration is just a small part of the certified School Librarian's role.  Certified School Librarians are also leaders, teachers, instructional partners, and information specialists.  They are often the technology leaders in their schools and provide instruction in multiple literacies including traditional literacy, information literacy, technology literacy, visual literacy, multicultural literacy, etc.  Studies show that certified school librarians are correlated to higher student achievement.  With the increased emphasis on research skills,  informational text, and complex text, School Librarians play a vital role in helping to implement the Common Core standards.

In summary, the declaration signing and the conversations with educators at MACUL was a great start.  MAME will need to continue to raise awareness about the state of Michigan's school libraries and the need to change this.  Join in the conversation and help spread the word to others.