WCSLit
Washington Coalition for School Libraries & Information Technology
OUR VISION
The Washington Coalition for School Libraries and Information Technology (WCSLit) envisions a future where every public school or small district in Washington state is served by a full-time, certified teacher-librarian who manages a fully-funded library and technology resource collection. The coalition looks to a future where students from across the state have the same access to technology, the same chance for literacy, and the same opportunity to receive a world-class education. It is our hope that Washington state standards for library and information technology education become the benchmark for library and information technology instruction across the nation.
OUR MISSION
The Washington Coalition for School Libraries and Information Technology is a group of concerned citizens, educators, businesses, and community groups working to ensure that school libraries receive adequate and sustained funding for full-time certified teacher-librarians, materials, technologies and facilities.
Coalition members believe that Washington's public schools must graduate students who are information-literate, technologically savvy, and impassioned skillful readers. To achieve this goal and to fulfill our aspirations of providing a world-class education for our children, schools must have well-funded, professionally-staffed libraries. Our primary mission is to advocate for this.
Coalition members believe that Washington's public schools must graduate students who are information-literate, technologically savvy, and impassioned skillful readers. To achieve this goal and to fulfill our aspirations of providing a world-class education for our children, schools must have well-funded, professionally-staffed libraries. Our primary mission is to advocate for this.
WHO WE ARE
The coalition was started by a group of parents whose children attend school in a district that recently made the third cut in four years to library programs.
We were dismayed to learn that similar cuts were occurring around Washington state and around the country. The American Library Association describes this national trend in no uncertain terms: the school librarian is highly endangered.
We were moved to form the coalition in order to provide a channel of communication for Washington citizens to deliver a clear message to our leaders: Washington voters believe librarians and information technology are fundamental to 21st century education and beyond.
We were quickly joined by other citizens – teachers, community and business leaders, and members of the higher education community – who wanted to take action to stop the devaluation of library programs and seek progressive policy changes that accurately reflect the needs of Washington students and our state and local economies.
We were dismayed to learn that similar cuts were occurring around Washington state and around the country. The American Library Association describes this national trend in no uncertain terms: the school librarian is highly endangered.
We were moved to form the coalition in order to provide a channel of communication for Washington citizens to deliver a clear message to our leaders: Washington voters believe librarians and information technology are fundamental to 21st century education and beyond.
We were quickly joined by other citizens – teachers, community and business leaders, and members of the higher education community – who wanted to take action to stop the devaluation of library programs and seek progressive policy changes that accurately reflect the needs of Washington students and our state and local economies.