How to Become a One School, One Book Member

If you represent a LIBRARY here is what to do:

Libraries are the core of Read To Them's 2009 initiative to recruit schools in bunches or clusters instead of one at time. One School, One Book presents an opportunity to make libraries more relevant to their elementary school communities, and libraries represent a new conduit for Read To Them to reach the students and families in elementary schools in every community. Read To Them has also found that raising funds to acquire the books is easier when sought via partnerships. Read To Them can help co-ordinate such school and library partnerships.

1. Send an e-mail directly to One School, One Book Director, Bruce Coffey, indicating your interest. Be sure to include a phone number. Bruce will call you directly to discuss the specifics of your situation - your community, your locale, the numbers and interests involved. E-mail him at: bruce@readtothem.org

2. You will be directed to try to recruit elementary schools in your area via the available interested personnel - administrators, principals, schools librarians, or reading specialists. You will receive a One School, One Book packet to help you explain and sell the program to representatives from area schools. The packet contains simple documents explaining the program; testimonials from participating member schools and libraries; and sample resources from select titles (e.g. E.B. White's The Trumpet of the Swan), including trivia questions, principal's talking points, and other documents. You can re-produce these documents as you see fit - or receive more One School, One Book packets as your situation warrants. (A full list of packet documents can be found here.)

3. Each situation is different, but if you are successful, your library will become the local starting point and clearing-house for the One School, One Book program in your area. Students and families may, for exmple, pick up the books at your libraries. If you desire, Read To Them can create unique resources to use in the Library while schools are reading their One School, One Book selection. (e.g. 10 Library Activities directed at The Trumpet of the Swan.)

4a. If you succeed in recruitng a cluster of schools (three or more), Read To Them will also send a representative to train your personnel to teach your schools how to implement the program. Read To Them will charges a speaker's fee for this service, but this fee should be able to be easily folded into the greater cost of acquiring multiple copies of the selected title.

4b. If you prefer, you can arrange for Read To Them Director, Bruce Coffey, to deliver his One School, One Book workshops:

"Why to do One School, One Book" - A survey of various literacy promotion efforts in the public school. A full explanation of all that is different and unique about the One School, One Book approach. Including the snapshot case for reading aloud in the home.
"How to do One School, One Book" - Everything you need to know to execute the program. How to explain the program to students, teachers, and parents. How to get the books. How to tailor your activities - assemblies, trivia questions, celebrations - to suit your environment.
"How to Read Aloud": Ten Tips on how to read aloud more confidently and more effectively. Includes sample excerpts read aloud by One School, One Book Director, Bruce Coffey. (Sample audio versions of the Reading Tips are available here.)
"How to Create a Community of Readers" - A broad overview of the relationship between libraries and their readership, and how schools can be brought into that nexus. How One School, One Book creates a community discssing children's literature - a community that includes students, parents, teachers, administrators, bus drivers, and cafeteria personnel. How Libraries can expand the notion of One School, One Book into One Community.

Read to Them does charge a presentation fee for these workshops, but you can can negotiate your own worskshop schedule. The separate workshops can be delivered individually, or combined into abbreviated 20 minute sessions. They can be delivered at each school or library you desire, or at one common location.

5. Read To Them has direct contacts with publishers and can arrange for the selected titles to be acquired in bulk at deep discount. Generally titles will cost $4.25 per copy, although this price can vary per title.

The preceding is, of course, merely an outline. Contact One School, One Book Director, Bruce Coffey, directly, for clarification and to have your your follow-up questions answered: 804.308.8096.