Reviewing the Research and Evidence: Towards Best Practices for Garnering Support for School Libraries

Abstract

While concerns about cutting funds to school libraries have been expressed for many years, little investigation has been done into what techniques are effective in reversing this trend. This paper reviews the empirical research from several disciplines as it applies to the question of how school library funding can be positively affected. The results indicate that teacher-librarians can positively use the principles of interpersonal influence to create effective relationships with decision-makers that may in turn impact funding.