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4 Political Advocacy for School Librarians toward lifelong learning. In this chapter, I will describe the knowledge and attributes that you already have that predispose you to political advo- cacy, as well as explain the complex intersection of federal, state, and local government and its impact on educational policy. Finally, I will explain a general strategy for political advocacy. You Have Knowledge and Expertise School librarians are in an incredible position to leverage their inside knowledge of effective school library programs in order to civically engage in the political process. Each state has different requirements for employ- ment as a K-12 school librarian. For example, you may have experience as a classroom teacher and a graduate credential in school librarianship. You may be just starting out in a school library with emergency licensure/ certifi cation. You may have a master’s in information or library sciences without K-12 educator preparation. You may work in an independent school. By virtue of your professional experience or a graduate credential, you are immersed in the day-to-day management, operation, and leader- ship of your school library. You interface regularly with students, faculty, staff, and administration. If you are a public educator, you have an under- standing of governance by a school board or board of trustees. All of this is to say that you have knowledge and expertise that can be shared with policymakers as they consider issues and make decisions that impact school library programs. Policymakers, on the other hand, come from a variety of backgrounds. They may have worked in business or industry, agriculture, public ser- vice, or law, to name just a few professions. They may have been a stay-at- home parent. They may have been staff for a politician and decided to run for offi ce. They may have been an educator or professor. Policymakers may or may not be the product of the public school system, but typically, they shape their views and opinions about K-12 schooling based on the “apprenticeship of observation”—that is, their perception of schooling is based on their interactions with the school system, from the vantage point of a student, a parent, or a patron. Policymakers may feel that they have a complete and thorough understanding of schools, but they have not had the advantage of leading a school library program. What policymakers know about school library programs is certainly valid from their own vantage point, but they have much to learn from you, the expert profes- sional in the library. The knowledge and expertise that you provide to policymakers is benefi cial to them as they make decisions that impact school library programs.