Learning Objective

• Understand how to use newsletters and social media to communicate with the community.

Download The Advocacy Action Plan Workbook from the exercise files at the bottom of this page.  As you go through the class you will use this workbook to begin creating your advocacy plan.

Communication is very important for advocacy. In order for students, teachers, staff, and families to appreciate all the library has to offer, they must be made aware of all initiatives and events. Sharing this information through newsletters and social media in a consistent manner is key. 

Creating Newsletters

Newsletters provide library users with important information to promote the library and its services. Read this article, Using School Library Newsletters to Communicate, from the American Association of School Librarians' publication Knowledge Quest. In this article, a high school librarian discusses the benefits of creating a newsletter and how she uses the feedback she receives to grow her practice. Think of some areas that you could highlight in your newsletter. Suggestions of topics include:

• photos from the library, including classes that you've collaborated with, staff reader of the month, or even featured students.
• curated resources on relevant topics and sharing lessons you've instructed.
• book recommendations or highlighting books newly added to the collection.
• link to a timely educational article.
• technology tips useful for teachers or students.

Write down some ideas you would want to use in your monthly newsletters. Keep this list in mind when performing your daily job, and make sure to take pictures and keep record of the items you want to highlight in your newsletter.

Newsletter Templates and Layouts 

There are many ideas for school library newsletter layouts. Doing a simple Google keyword search for "school library newsletter template" will result in many images and sites for guidance. Even though many of the search results are not free templates, the ideas can still be used when creating your newsletter.

Consider the following templates:

• Google Docs has a free newsletter template that can be modified for school library purposes. 
• Slidesgo offers a variety of free slideshow newsletter templates that can be used for PowerPoint or Google Slides.
• Slidesmania also offers free slideshow newsletter templates. 
• Microsoft Word offers a free newsletter template. When opening a Word document, click on "More Templates" in the top right corner to see the choices. 

Another option is to use online design software programs. You can sign up for a Smore account. While this site offers a paid premium option, it also provides a free account as well.

Smore has newsletter templates you can copy and edit for your purposes. These are visually appealing and provide data on the number of users who have viewed the newsletter. This data can help determine the type of content that users are interacting with and using.

The free version of Smore only allows 3 newsletters at a time to be created in your account, however there is an option to download the newsletter as a PDF. After downloading the oldest newsletter, you can delete it and then create a new newsletter.

1. Read pages 11-13 of your copy of the Advocacy Action Plan Workbook. Complete Action Step #5: Strategies.

Social Media Presence

Using social media to communicate upcoming events and initiatives in your library is a quick and easy way to reach a broader audience. Many librarians and libraries now have a social media presence. Read Social Media in the LMC—What's All the Hype and Increase Students Following on Social Media to learn more about how other librarians are presenting themselves on social media. 

Explore Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and begin following other leaders of school libraries and library advocates. The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has created an award called AASL Social Media Superstars. For great ideas on what to post, follow those who've been awarded this honor in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Using the categories identified in the AASL Social Media Superstars awards such as advocacy, curriculum, leadership, programming, reading and literacy, student voice, social justice, and technology. Think of ways that you can share content on social media to promote your library. 

School librarian Lucas Maxwell is a frequent writer of articles for Book Riot on all things libraries. Read his article A Social Media Strategy for Libraries for additional ideas on how to use social media in your library. Read Make Your Library's Social Media Posts Better in 5 Easy Steps for tips on how to frontload information and write to your audience using an active voice. 

Don't forget these tips when using social media:

• After creating your social media accounts, consider following INFOhio on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. When using INFOhio resources don't forget to share and post on social media with #infohioworks. 
• Remember when sharing images of students online to follow your school district's photo and privacy policy. If students are not allowed to be pictured online, be sure to cover or blur their face on the image. 
• Going forward, consider all the social media platforms and types of newsletters that are available to draw attention to your library. Don't be afraid to think outside of the box and incorporate technology. 

Reflecting on Your Learning 

Answer the following questions in the INFOhio School Library Basics Open Space group Discussions. Find the First Line of Support reflection question in the Discussions tab. Reply to the thread and review other participants' responses.

1. Identify at least 3 important areas you want to highlight in your newsletter and on social media. 
2. To increase your online presence, what mediums of communication are you considering using? Online newsletter? Web pages? Social Media?
3. After browsing through the free newsletter templates, which one will work best for your school library purposes and why?