School librarians are facing job losses and budget cuts, but can advocate for their position by collaborating with teachers, being part of the educational process, and establishing themselves as the literacy and research experts. Vendors like Mackin provide resources to maximize librarians' time and capabilities by offering books, databases, cataloging services, and other tools to serve students and teachers. Mackin is a family-owned company that has specialized in customizing services to fit the needs of individual schools for 26 years.

1. School Libraries From a Vendor’s Perspective

3. What can be done to save school librarians?

4. Be a collaborator with teachers and administration

5. Be a part of the educational process

6. Establish yourself as the information specialist and the literacy/research expert of your school

7. Advocate for your position before it is considered for elimination

8. From Doug Johnson’s Blue Skunk Blog on January 12, 2010: “I do know this. Once a budget plan is presented to the public via the school board, it is almost impossible to change. Any influence we have has to be exerted during the planning – we can’t wait to react.”

10. Definition of a Vendor According to Merriam-Webster OnLine Etymology: Anglo-French vendur, from vendre to sell, from Latin vendere Definition: one that vends : see seller The person in a business deal who hands over an item in exchange for money <we're thinking of making a deal with that other software vendor> Synonyms: dealer, merchandiser, seller Related Words: trader, distributor, retailer, wholesaler, peddler, salesperson In the school library world, the word “jobber” is also used to describe the vendor. specifically: a wholesaler who operates on a small scale or who sells only to retailers and institutions

11. Examples of Vendors Retailers – Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, etc. Publishers – Capstone, Lerner, etc. Jobbers – Rainbow, Gumdrop, Davidson, Bound to Stay Bound, Perma-Bound, Baker & Taylor, Follett Generally working with a static inventory that they have purchased for resale (some limited exceptions) Acquisition Service – Mackin Company who provides access to the materials you require from the publishers that you want to work with. Not restricted to static inventory – accessing publisher inventory on an as-needed basis (just-in-time, on-demand format) Designed to acquire materials to fulfill a need.

12. Vendor Service Comparison Yes Possibly No

13. About Mackin 26 years working with school libraries Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota Family-owned company that now operates globally Specializing in school-by-school, district-by-district customization (we design our services to fit your needs)

14. One-Source Service for Schools World’s largest, age-appropriate PreK-12 database Mackin provides access to over 18,000 publishers including: Abdo Publishing Company Arte Publico Albert Whitman Barefoot Books Boyds Mill Press Charlesbridge Publishing Chronicle Books Child’s Play Crabtree Publishing Dorling Kindersley Dover Books Eakin Publications Firefly Books Publishers Group West Portage & Main Press Random House Salina Bookshelf Santillana Publishing Co. Spotlight Books Simon & Schuster Scholastic Star Bright Books Steck-Vaughn Sunbelt Publications T & N Children’s Publishing VHPS Gareth Stevens Harcourt Brace Harper Collins Houghton Mifflin Holiday House Kane Miller Lee & Lou Books Lectorum National Council on Education Northland Publishing Pacific Learning Penguin USA

18. Designated Classroom Service Coordinator

19. Completely customized collection

20. Free shelving plan

21. Free shelving team

22. Always shipped in exact Dewey order

23. Free cataloging and processing

24. Aggressive discounts

25. 1-year extension of discount after school opens

26. 3-year guarantee of all books/media

27. Free duplicate checking

28. Discount on Alexandria software

30. Free Custom Cataloging MARC records created and customized to customer specifications Compatible with all online catalogs and circulation systems

31. Precision Quality Control Order accuracy is our mandate Multiple checkpoints throughout the process ensure the quality of cataloging, processing, packing, and shipping

32. Always Free Shipping

34. 10 Steps to Using Mackin.com 1. Get started Begin on the home page (www.mackin.com) by registering to establish secure access to the site, with a private password of your choice that you use each time to log in.

35. 10 Steps to Using Mackin.com 2. Create your profile. Tell Mackin.com how you like to search. Go to My Profile (under My Mackin in the top menu). You can set up search defaults, interest levels, binding display and even parameters for multiple school ordering.

36. 10 Steps to Using Mackin.com 3. Search for titles. There are over 2 million titles in the Mackin.com database, which means you have a great chance of finding the titles you seek. The process begins on the Search page, which includes a SEARCH BY dropdown menu, a field to enter your keyword(s) and a selection of parameters to help you define your query.

37. 10 Steps to Using Mackin.com 4. OR, use our suggested lists. Our experienced librarians continually create lists of titles that you can modify, specific to your state, for your library or classroom. We also include lists of best new titles, and state and national standards, as well as School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Library Media Connection selections.

38. 10 Steps to Using Mackin.com 5. Navigate your search results. You can customize your search results by adding and removing columns of information using the Column link to the top right of the search results list. Publisher, Dewey, ISBN, AR Quiz, Language – there are over 15 options available. Your column choices will stay as your continue searching and the next time you log in.

39. 10 Steps to Using Mackin.com 6. Select titles/create a list. Create a new list or select a saved list in the drop-down box above your search results. When you click on the Select box next to a title, it is immediately added and saved to your current open list. To remove a selection, simply uncheck it. One-click selection!

40. 10 Steps to Using Mackin.com 7. Manage your lists. To see all your submitted and unsubmitted lists, go to My Book Lists (under My Mackin in the top menu). You can sort by clicking on the column headings; edit, delete or forward a list; merge, move, or copy a list; and even calculate the total for a group of lists. To see the details of a specific list, click on the list name. To change the quantity of a title, enter the desired quantity in the Qty. field, then press Enter/Return.

41. 10 Steps to Using Mackin.com 8. Choose your cataloging and processing options. To select your specifications for the first time, go to My Specs (under My Mackin in the top menu). Follow the instructions and click the Submit to Mackin when you’re done. You also can print out a PDF specifications form and mail or fax to us when complete. To make changes to your specs on future orders, call Customer Service.

42. 10 Steps to Using Mackin.com 9. Time to order! When you’re ready to place an order (also called submitting a list), click the Order Now button on your open list page. If you need to make any changes on a submitted order, please call Customer Service.

43. 10 Steps to Using Mackin.com 10. What else can you do on Mackin.com? Analyze your collection Request a custom list from our expert librarians (collection development) Learn about Opening Day Collections Discover Mackin’s extensive, customized classroom services Find out more about interactive eBooks and online databases Register for Funds4Books, an online fundraiser Check out industry trends and grant resources Review Publisher Showcase and more!

44. Register Now! Register now on Mackin.com, by selecting “College Student” as your job title. We look forward to working with you!

45. For more information, questions, or comments: Susan Grimes – TX Sales Consultantsusan.grimes@mackin.com800-245-9540 (toll-free) or 817-233-4071 (cell) Mackin Customer Service 800-245-9540 (toll-free) customerservice@mackin.com