PR Tips for Stakeholders Parents

MEDT 6466 Spring 2013 Dr. Goldberg Group #6 Linden Agan Erin Carr Laura Grove Judith Lee

Introduce parents to the Media Center

Include an Every student succeeds at your library welcome message from the Media Specialist in back-to-school packets for parents Be visible and available for parent questions at Meet and Greet Host Kindergarten Orientation in the Media Center for new parents

Special Events

Use Open House as an opportunity to hand out passwords to parents for sites like Galileo, GeorgiaOAS, etc. Host special tours/receptions for parents during parent-teacher night or School Library Media Month, focus on the resources, especially online, that werent available when they were in school Offer classes and workshops like a Lunch & Learn on topics such as Beyond the Web: What you should know to help your child or How to Raise a Reader Sponsor regular Family Nights with storytelling, films, and other activities Host special programs on careers, cultural diversity, writing and the arts and invite parents to attend or participate

Volunteer Opportunities

Invite parent volunteers to work the circulation desk during school hours, parents love to be there when their own children come to check out books Work with the school PTA to enlist volunteers for book fairs and inventory Invite parents who are community leaders and public officials to read to students during events like Red Ribbon Week, for example, a police officer can read a book about safety

Written Communications

Publish a monthly newsletter or write columns for the community newspaper to let parents know what is happening in the library Write a regular column in the school newsletter for parents, include minireviews of books, websites, and other helpful resources Prepare flyers, brochures, and handouts that focus on the mission of your program to distribute to parents, highlighting examples of collaborative projects, successful promotions, and evidence youve collected about the effectiveness of your program and the importance of school libraries

Website/Online Communications

Regularly update a blog about your media program that gives parents access to information about your library program Use commenting features on your blog to seek input from parents Use streaming media to offer a comprehensive view of the media program in action on your blog or website Use social networking tools to provide two-way communication between yourself and the parents On your blog or website, provide parents with links to standards, lessons, data, and research to highlight the significance of your media program Provide reviews of books and grade level appropriate book recommendations on your website Create and promote a special Parents Page on your website with tips and resources to help parents help their children read, learn, and use the media center and the Internet

Provide Additional Resources

Promote virtual mentoring by giving parents access to instructional resources they can use with their children Allow parents who are going back to college for degrees in education related fields to borrow books and magazines from the professional collection Offer a special collection on parenting and education for parents Work with teachers and school counselors to identify children whose parents have language or reading difficulties and provide a list of community resources that can help them

References
American Association of School Librarians. (2003). Toolkit for School Library Media Programs. Retrieved March 20, 2013 from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/ content/advleg/publicawareness/campaign@yourlibrary/prtools/schoollibrary/ FINAL_toolkit.pdf Burkman, A. (2004). A Practical Approach to Marketing the School Library. Retrieved March 30, 2013 from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=29618128-c625-4b0dbf23edb7d6e9d1d3%40sessionmgr10&vid=1&hid=25&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ% 3d%3d#db=eft&AN=502938334 Cavitt, D. (1998). 38 steps to a well-rounded PR program. Library Talk, 11(1), 1. Creighton, P. (2012). MAKE YOUR PRACTICE PUBLIC. Library Media Connection, 31(3), 32-35. Hoppe, K. M. (2013). OPEN HOUSE: THE DREADED EDUCATIONAL EVENT. Library Media

Connection, 31(4), 46.

Meeks, M. (2013). DREAM BIG: EMPOWERING MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. Library Media

Connection, 31(4), 30-33.

U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement. (2007). Engaging Parents in Education: Lessons From Five Parental Information And Resource Centers . Retrieved March 20, 2013 from http://www2.ed.gov/admins/comm/parents/parentinvolve/ engagingparents.pdf