NJASL Strategic Plan 2021-2022

Mission & Vision

Mission:

The New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL) promotes excellence in school librarianship and

advocates for strong school library media programs for all students, guided by the principles set forth in the

Library Bill of Rights and its interpretive statements, NJASL provides school library media specialists with

educational opportunities and current information aligned with state and national learning standards to ensure

that all school libraries empower students, faculty, and staff to become effective and ethical users and

producers of information.

Vision: 

Every student in every school in New Jersey is served by a certified full time school library media specialist and

has access to the technology and other resources needed. All students are empowered to achieve success

through inquiry-based, collaborative school library programs led by credentialed school library media

specialists. These professionals are recognized as educational leaders and indispensable resources in their

school communities.

Priorities: 

Strategic Priority:  Advocacy 

Goal: Increase awareness of the positive impact of school librarians and libraries on students through

promotion, publicity and collaboration with affiliate organizations

Action Items:

• Continue working with Every Library to assist with our advocacy efforts
• Continue work on legislation related to school library programs:
• School funding
• Student:SLMS ratios
• Information literacy curriculum
• Identify schools/districts that lack SLMSs or are eliminating SLMS positions and follow-up with letters of concern, attendance at meetings, and parent/family outreach.
•  Use our publication tools (website and Bookmark) and social media platforms to highlight strong library programs and promote them in an organized and strategic manner
• Use our social media platforms to connect with our stakeholders
• Continuously update the folder in the Shared Drive to house advocacy-related presentations, letters, etc.
• Share our library stories with critical stakeholders (DOE, state organizations, parents, administration, legislators) by attending and presenting at meetings and conferences.
• Write a series of op-ed articles for outside publications (ex. NJ Spotlight, NJEA)
• Foster relationships with NJDOE to influence initiatives and to ensure that school library media specialists are represented in updates to administrative code, certification and NJ Student Learning Standards.
• Make connections with teacher preparation programs and administrator preparation programs to provide a clear understanding of the value of a school librarian.

Strategic Priority: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Goal: Increase the diversity of our board, membership and our support of BIPOC members.

Action Items:

•  Continue to foster rotating and diverse membership in the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee
• Have the district recruiter reach out to SLMS teaching in diverse communities to gather information on ways NJASL can better serve these SLMS and recommend strategies to amplify the voices of underrepresented members.
• Intentionally discussing publication, website, social media and PD content with members from diverse backgrounds periodically reviewing publication, website, social media and PD content to ensure that diverse voices are represented
• Maintain an updated collection of EDI resources
• Provide ongoing EDI Training to the NJASL Board and members
• Participate in EDI-related events, such as workshops, conferences, book discussions, etc.
• Offer a social justice strand of PD through our Youtube channel
• Develop and implement a Safe Space statement at all NJASL meetings.

Strategic Priority: Professional development

Goal: Provide our membership with ongoing professional development opportunities in-person, synchronously

and asynchronously.

Action Items:

• Reach out to Board members to enlist people to contribute online PD events
• Poll membership and county groups for topic requests and for non-board members willing to contribute to online PD events
• Develop ideas for online PD opportunities - “Small Bytes” (like Spark and Tells)
• Explore any revenue-generating opportunities with online PD events
• Highlight PD offerings from affiliates and other online PD providers via our website, social media platforms and publication tools
• Provide PD offerings related to DOE initiatives and requests to ensure that school library media specialists are aware of information related to administrative code, certification, and NJ Student Learning Standards.
• Create a lesson bank landing site for members of NJASL to share lesson plans
• Create an SGO landing site for members of NJASL to share examples of SGO’S and SMART Goals.

Strategic Priority: Standards and Curriculum

Goal: Develop an NJASL approved curriculum based on standard 9.4, 8.1, AASL & ISTE standards

Action Items:

• Create a task force/committee to undertake the creation of an NJASL approved curriculum (ideally PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8 & 9-12) based on Standards 9.4, 8.1, AASL Standards, and ISTE Standards
• Collect and review curriculums that have been successful in school districts in New Jersey
• Collect and review curriculums that have been successful in school districts in other states
• Foster relationships with NJDOE to influence the State of NJ to adopted the AASL standards for librarians

Strategic Priority: Membership Benefits

Goal: Prioritize support and assistance to members and clearly define the benefits of membership.

Action Items:

• Review current benefits of membership vs. nonmembership
• Provide more personalized advocacy support for members (with general advocacy suggestions for nonmembers posted on the website).
• Provide discounted registration at professional development events for members (ex. Spring conference free for members/charge for nonmembers)
• Begin a campaign to promote the benefits of membership using social media, the website and connections with the county groups.
• Once established, promote the lesson plan bank/SGO landing site available for members