Sunday, January 8, 2012

Support School Libraries - Sign the Petition

Carl Harvey, AASL (American Association of School Librarians) President has posted a petition on the Whitehouse.gov site in support of school libraries. Here's the text:

"WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:
Ensure that every child in America has access to an effective school library program.
Every child in America deserves access to an effective school library program. We ask that the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provide dedicated funding to help support effective school library programs. Such action will ensure more students have access to the resources and tools that constitute a 21st century learning environment. Reductions in school library programs are creating an ‘access gap’ between schools in wealthier communities versus those where there are high levels of poverty. All students should have an equal opportunity to acquire the skills necessary to learn, to participate, and to compete in today’s world."

I was number #190 when I signed January 5. As I write, we are at 1,874 signatures. Please add yours, and, most importantly, spread the word far and wide. We need 25,000 total signatures by February 4 for this petition to be forwarded to President Obama. We can do it if we all get out the word to colleagues, family, and friends. Our students' futures depend upon strong school libraries. Let's advocate to make it happen.

To sign, click this link to go to the petition. You do need to create an account, then sign in. Some people have had challenges getting logged in. If you have trouble, try another browser, and keep logging in until it works. I did have to log in about three times before I succeeded. The time and effort will be worth it!

Thanks!