Get Informed

Get informed about the different ways ARRA funds support education so you can target your requests:

• Funds are targeted to programs that serve disadvantaged–either economically or academically—students. Title 1 programs and IDEA funding substantially increase.
• The US Department of Education advises that spending:
  • Have a demonstrated positive impact on student achievement
  • Have little or no recurring costs that cannot be sustained once federal dollars expire

Determine Your Target

Think about the programs that will receive the most attention in your school or district and draw a straight line to show the impact your library will make for the students served by those programs. For example, if IDEA funding for special education will see a big increase for your school, focus on the importance of reading choice and independent reading practice for students in special education, and the ways in which the library can support these goals!

Be proactive. Reach out to teachers and administrators with whom you’ve successfully collaborated in the past and those you haven’t worked with before too! Make sure each decision maker understands that libraries are a great resource for their programs with demonstrably positive results. Shout the benefits of the library from the rooftops!

Gather Your Facts

Research in nearly 20 statewide studies links higher student achievement with strong library media programs. An Illinois study concluded that middle school students with access to robust, current library collections had a nearly 14% increase in achievement on the state writing test.¹

Schools who received funding through the federal Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program had a 3% improvement in meeting or exceeding state reading proficiency requirements.² The programs average award per school is less than $25,000. For less than the cost of an additional staff member, you could raise your reading scores!

Additional resource links

Make Your Plan

Prove your library makes a difference by developing a plan for how you would use the additional money. Start by evaluating the state of your collection. Capstone’s free service, CollectionWiz™, makes it easy to upload an exported copy of your MARC file. Within minutes, you’ll have presentation-quality reports that show your average collection age, your distribution across Dewey areas, lists of items that are unacceptably aged, suggested purchase items (that you don’t already own!) and more.

Combine your current collection facts with your research and knowledge about specific program goals within your state, school or district. For example, a Missouri librarian knows that in her state, 3rd graders achieve “proficient” status on the state reading test by being able to “summarize and interpret the elements of fiction/nonfiction, and make complex inferences, and interpret figurative language.” CollectionWiz™ indicated that she doesn’t have enough fiction titles and her nonfiction is outdated. She cites a study that larger, more current collections make a positive difference in student achievement.1 Using those three points of data, she has built a case that the library needs more resources.

Present your case clearly, professionally and with documentation. Develop a proposed budget. Provide examples. Consider showing examples of unacceptable books in your library (i.e. computer books on DOS, Pluto as a planet etc.) along with samples of quality materials you plan to acquire.

Be Loud. Be Strong. The Facts Are on Your Side.

Your library is a vital resource in increasing student achievement. You have the facts and a plan on your side. This is about more than a love of books. It is about successful learning and equal access.

"[reduced funding for school libraries] denies equal access for all students to the shared resources and information skills instruction [that is] crucial for students to learn and thrive in the 21st century. Across the United States, research has shown that students in schools with good libraries learn more, get better grades, and score higher on standardized test scores than their peers in schools without [well-supported] libraries. The correlation between school librarians and student achievement is tied to a robust collection, a licensed school library media specialist, and a strong program." ³
Ann Martin, President of the American
Association of School Libraries (AASL)