By Anita Brooks Kirkland
Advocacy is a long, hard slog. It’s about gathering the evidence over time, and building strategic relationships at every level: in government and educational leadership, but also with educators and administrations in schools and school districts. Responsibility for advocacy lies with all of us involved in school libraries, no matter our role. It is not a responsibility held only by leaders.
Despite some common perceptions, the school library community in Canada has made significant progress with advocacy over the past decade. We have captured the imagination of the education world with the vision first laid out in the Ontario School Library Association’s guideline document, Together for Learning: School Libraries and the Emergence of the Learning Commons, published in 2010. Innovations in practice have since been guided by our national document, Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada.
The very founding of Canadian School Libraries (CSL) was itself an advocacy success, and has led to the development of a rich body of made-in-Canada action research and professional literature, a strengthened national network, and strategic connections and program partnerships with other organizations.
The real champion of advocacy for school libraries has been the Ontario Library Association (OLA) and its division, the Ontario School Library Association (OSLA). As a multi-sector association, OLA’s efforts represent the support of the broader library community for the specific role of the school library. OLA has sponsored the most important Canadian research, starting with two major studies conducted in the early 2000s. It was OLA and OSLA’s fragile but strengthening relationship with the Ontario Ministry of Education that resulted in funding for Together for Learning and subsequent curriculum projects. OLA’s advocacy strategy is about building and sharing evidence, and building strategic relationships. Just have a look at the large body of materials available on the OSLA School Library Advocacy webpage.
There have been advocacy successes across the country over the past few years. A Supreme Court of Canada decision in 2016 (BC Teachers’ Federation vs BC Government) affirming the role of specialist teachers inspired a renaissance of teacher-librarianship in British Columbia. Newfoundland and Labrador recently published new guidelines for school library learning commons, implemented with funding for increased professional staffing. Québec has established reliable funding for putting books published in the province into school libraries on an annual basis. Many school districts across the country have started to re-imagine their libraries, and appreciate their importance. Until the international pandemic, or at least that is how it has seemed.
The Pandemic Threat
This time of crisis has put long-term relationships to the test. Across the country, but particularly in Ontario, school libraries were closed and staff reassigned as part of emergency measures. Students and teachers have lost access to resources for reading and inquiry as well as professional services. The pandemic has exacerbated existing inequities in access to quality school library programs. The longstanding vulnerabilities of the program as the “low-hanging fruit” of educational funding put years of progress at risk. But it is exactly at times like these that all of the efforts made by so many people and organizations over the past decade may help mitigate long-term, negative implications. For it is not only the immediate impact of closures and cuts that concern us, but the potential for more permanent cuts as we eventually emerge from the pandemic crisis.
Mobilization in a Time of Crisis
Calling advocacy a ‘slog’ belies its rewards. As hopeless as the situation may seem at times, school library advocates across the country have mobilized. Despite some major disappointments, there is reason to hope that we will come through this crisis, ready to re-emerge with fresh ideas and new opportunities. Let us start by recalling advocacy landmark events over the past year.
CSL Statement on the Role of School Libraries During the Pandemic
As the school year started in September 2020, CSL’s board of directors decided that it was crucial to make a statement that could be used across the country to draw attention to the critical role of the library for learning, and to share recommendations for continued access during the global crisis. The statement has been widely shared and we like to think that it has helped with local advocacy.
“Quality school library programs have never been more essential. We cannot afford to sacrifice the library’s unique contribution to student success and well-being during this period of emergency measures, nor can we risk the future by weakening this essential resource in the shorter term.”
CSL Statement on the Role of School Libraries During the Pandemic
Leverage Your LLC: Pandemic Partner for Learning
This resource built on the recommendations of the CSL board’s statement. It provides practical advice for leveraging the library learning commons, making the most of its diverse learning resources, participatory learning environments, active learning experiences, expert instruction and guidance, in both the physical and virtual library spaces. We are confident that the gist of this advice will continue to inspire future strategic growth at many schools.
A Cautionary Tale
In March 2021 the worst possible happened in one school district. The strain of the pandemic and diminishing funding resulted in a proposal by the board of the Pembina Trails School Division in Winnipeg that all secondary teacher-librarian positions would be cut for the 2021-22 school year, and middle school positions would be reduced by half.
The irony of the situation was that just one year previously, CSL had presented the first ever Leading Learning Implementation Award to the Pembina Trails School Division for their systemic implementation of Leading Learning. The CSL board responded immediately by writing a letter of concern to Manitoba’s Minister of Education. The letter was useful to the Manitoba School Library Association (MSLA) in their response to the situation. MSLA Past President Niki Card made a compelling presentation at the public meeting about the budget proposal. In the end, the decision was made to retain teacher-librarians at extremely reduced allocations: a partial victory, but one that leaves the once exemplary program in a very vulnerable position.
Save School Libraries Coalition
One huge benefit of long-term advocacy is in mobilizing allies. It turns out that a large number of organizations and individuals in the community of writers, publishers, book sellers and education are themselves very concerned about the future of school libraries. Save School Libraries is a national coalition dedicated to advocating for the critical importance of school libraries and their professional staff. The coalition was formed in the autumn of 2020. Although national in scope, the coalition decided that Ontario should be its first priority, as it was in that province that libraries were being closed and staff reassigned at alarming rates at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. The coalition’s goals are to:
- Reverse the decision to close school libraries in Ontario schools.
- Advocate for open, well-staffed school libraries so that students have access to the knowledge that will enhance and enrich their lives.
- Support library professionals by recognizing the essential role they play in the educational system.
- Advocate for equal access for all to reading materials.
Several coalition member organizations had already mobilized, writing letters of concern to government ministries. The coalition’s first collective action was to write a letter to Ontario Minister of Education Stephen Lecce, receiving no response. In March 2021, knowing that school districts would soon be making budget decisions about the next school year, the coalition wrote another letter, this time to the Council of Ontario Ministers of Education (CODE), and the Ontario Principals’ Council (OPC). Both organizations’ responses were encouraging. CODE expressed hope that programs would be restored once we got through the pandemic. Their executive director was not aware of any discussions to negatively impact library programs moving forward.
The Ontario Principals’ Council echoed this response, agreeing that teacher-librarians are a valuable part of all school communities. They also recognized that in response to an emergency situation many boards had no other option than to re-assign teacher-librarians to classroom roles. “It is our expectation that once we have moved beyond the pandemic, the role of teacher-librarians will be restored. We would support this action.” (OPC Correspondence with SSL Coalition, April 2021)
“The response we received from CODE and OPC was encouraging and I am hopeful that principals and directors understand the important role of their school library and professional library staff, in post-pandemic recovery and student success. These partnerships are crucial for ensuring all Ontario students have access to the best learning resources.”
Maria Martella, Chair, Save School Libraries Coalition
Cultivating a Broader Community of Concern
Concerned about the long history of cuts to school libraries and implications for the future, the Centre for Free Expression (CFE) at Ryerson University held an online panel discussion on May 12, moderated by CSL board member Richard Beaudry. Panelists included Dr. Dianne Oberg, Professor Emerita from the University of Alberta, Brandi Bartok, MSLA President, Kamalijit Purewal, BC teacher-librarian, and educational theorist Michael J. Apple from the University of Wisconsin.
We are struck by two things from this discussion. Firstly, the very fact that it was initiated by a university centre with a broader mandate elevated the level of concern beyond the community of school library practitioners. The second was the name of the session itself, which raises the importance of the language we use. Panelist Dr. Dianne Oberg addressed this immediately. We have experienced losses in terms of staffing and funding, but are we at the point of declaring that we are actually in demise, when the vast majority of schools in the country have a library of some description. I must ask whether the language we use actually sustains and even promotes a forgone conclusion. Advocacy must be about the possibilities, not about irreversible regrets.
This event does underline the importance of mobilizing allies, and as a co-sponsor with the Centre for Free Expression, several public libraries, and library associations, this can be counted as a great success. A recording of this event will be available on the CFE’s website at: https://cfe.ryerson.ca/events.
More Reasons for Optimism in Ontario
OLA and OSLA’s advocacy focus with the provincial government for the past several years has been, to put it simply, that provincial funding for school libraries be used for school libraries.
“We strongly urge the Ministry of Education to maintain the funding currently allocated to school boards for school libraries and library staff under the Ministry’s formula, and to enhance the accountability and transparency of this provincial investment by mandating that these funds are spent on these priorities. Enhancing the transparency and accountability from school boards for the use of these allocated funds will protect and restore access for all Ontario students following the pandemic emergency – no matter where they live. Furthermore, this approach can be achieved while respecting the independence of school boards and ensuring sufficient local flexibility on how best to apply this funding.”
OLA Fall 2020 Ontario Budget Submission
In an Advocacy Alert to its members on May 5, 2021, OLA shared some wonderful news, that the 2021-22 Grant for Student Needs (GSN) includes an important new policy intended to ensure that school boards are using provincial funding allocated for school libraries to support this important purpose.
Library Staffing
“New this year, the ministry is introducing requirements to enhance reporting for library staff funding. This additional reporting is intended to provide the ministry with greater insight into how school boards are funding libraries and related supports.
School boards that are not fully utilizing the funding provided for library staffing through the Pupil Foundation Grant, along with the existing enveloping provision of the Library Staff Allocation, will be asked for a multi-year plan highlighting their vision and next steps to address any underspending in this area.”
Ontario Ministry of Education Grant for Student Needs, 2021-22
This is a huge advocacy success for OLA and OSLA, and reason for optimism.
“We are very pleased to see that our voice has been heard for enhanced reporting of library staff funding. This huge success was a direct result of OSLA’s continuous engagement with the Ministry of Education and the combined contributions of our many OSLA members. OSLA looks forward to continuing its conversations with the Ministry of Education and providing its professional expertise and insight on how school boards across the province can deliver dynamic, locally-responsive school library programming.”
Ontario Library Association, May 5, 2021
The GSN also announced increased funding to school districts for the licensing of educational software. It is worth noting that boards’ increased needs are in part due to ministry decisions to end provincial licensing. Nevertheless, the funding is important and welcome. In all hope, school boards will put it to its intended use.
Reasons for Hope in Hopeless Times
Despite the optimistic tone of this article, I am under no illusions as to the fragility of school library programs and funding. We are low-hanging fruit indeed. Having said that, support gained through those long years of information-sharing and relationship-building give real reason for optimism at the most precarious of times.
“Increased funding for Ontario school libraries, and more accountability on how these funds are allocated, is a great step towards rebuilding and securing our school libraries. I commend the OSLA for persisting and tirelessly advocating for the preservation and improvement of our school libraries. I hope the Ministry continues to build on this initiative and ensure healthy libraries exist in all Ontario Schools.”
Maria Martella, Chair, Save School Libraries Coalition
Lessons Learned and a Call for Library Activism
We are all very concerned about what the post-pandemic future may bring. School districts are making extraordinarily difficult decisions in the face of funding challenges and uncertainty. Despite this, there is reason for hope. Clearly school library professionals can lead the way in implementing change for the future. As we start to recover from the COVID roller coaster ride, let us work together to advocate for the future of the school library learning commons and our professional roles. We are DEFINITELY all on this new journey together.
Anita Brooks Kirkland is the chair of Canadian School Libraries and co-editor of CSL Journal. She is a past president of the Ontario Library Association (2014) and the Ontario School Library Association (2005). As a writer, presenter and consultant, Anita specializes in the areas of information and digital literacy, the virtual library, and advocacy for the school library learning commons.