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State of America’s Libraries Report 2011:“Vision Tour” shines a bright light on outstanding school libraries

Submitted by Mark Gould on Mon, 04/11/2011 - 13:06
Illustration: 
Nancy Everhart
Nancy Everhart, president of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), wants to make sure that exemplary school libraries nationwide get the recognition they deserve –– and a chance to serve as models for others.
 
And so she has undertaken what she calls her Vision Tour, a series of road trips from her home base in Tallahassee, Fla., to 35 states to gain support for Learning4Life, the AASL’s national plan for implementing two AASL publications, “Standards for the 21st-Century Learner” and “Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs.”
 
Learning4Life has two objectives:
 
1) to identify exemplary models and transferable visual products for implementation at the local, district, state, and national levels; and
2) to develop a national roster of celebrities, well-known educators and organizations, and other public figures as advocates for school librarians and library programs. School libraries on the tour were selected by their state’s AASL affiliate to represent them.
 
Everhart chooses schools by asking the AASL state organizations to provide the name of an outstanding school library in the state. When the school is chosen and the visit scheduled, the hosts generally arrange a program that’s designed to let people know what school libraries are all about –– and to show them what kids without school libraries are missing. Often these occasions include student performances of the Vision Tour theme song, appropriately titled “Check It Out.”
 
The events are attended by parents, principals, school superintendents, school board members, area school and public librarians, state library personnel, mayors and state representatives and other government officials. Rep. Fred Upton (R–Mich.) had a commendation read into the Congressional Record about Portage Northern High School’s honor. Some celebs participate in other ways; Robin Roberts, host of ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America,” sent video congratulations to Byrd Middle School in Richmond, Va., that was screened during a school-wide assembly.
 
Everhart says the tour can produce major changes for the good. “In one instance, a school librarian who had her job reduced was reinstated to full time. In another district, school board members left the Vision Tour celebration noting that cuts they had been contemplating were not going to happen — and they’ve stuck to it,” Everhart says. “It’s all part of the message of the tour — to let everyone know what outstanding school libraries are all about.”
 
The 2011 State of America's Libraries Report highlights key trends and issues facing libraries during the previous year. The report, released annually in conjunction with National Library Week, contains information about library funding, legislative issues and library technology in academic, school and public libraries.