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About This Course
A practical path for moving great library ideas forward when funding feels out of reach.
On-Demand Materials:
Available starting May 6, 2026
When school library funding is tight, great ideas often get stuck at the “nice, but we can’t afford it” stage. This course is designed to help you move past that moment and start building a clear, realistic path toward funding, even when traditional budgets fall short.
In this course, you’ll learn how to step back, assess your library’s most pressing needs, and translate them into funding requests that decision-makers and potential partners will actually say yes to. You’ll look at how funding works in schools and districts, where flexibility really exists, and how you can tap into those funding sources beyond your library’s operational budget.
You’ll also learn how to craft a strong need statement, use data and documentation to strengthen your case, and begin building relationships with allies, organizations, and community partners who can help move your ideas forward. By the end of the course, you’ll walk away with a clear funding focus, a ready-to-use need statement, and a practical funding map, along with the confidence to advocate for your library and the programs you want to make possible.
This course is part of a 2-course certification series, Finding Money for Your School Library When There Isn’t Any. You may register for each course in the series individually, or register for the full series with a $75 discount.
ENROLL NOW
Return to Full Course Catalog
WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE
This course is for K-12 school librarians and educators.
THIS WILL BE A SELF-PACED, ASYNCHRONOUS COURSE.
EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT
This course includes 3 modules, each designed to take approximately 4 hours to complete. You can move through the content at your own pace and on your own schedule. You'll earn 12 hours of PD credit and a School Library Journal certificate of completion.
ON-DEMAND ACCESS
You'll have access to all course materials for six months.
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
Complete the course and earn 12 professional development credit hours. We provide a certificate that is emailed to you.
If you complete both courses in the Finding Money for Your School Library series, you will earn your School Library Funding certification from School Library Journal.
ACCESSIBILITY
All video recordings feature auto captioning. Please email course-support@libraryjournal.com upon registration if you require any special accommodations and we will make our best efforts to facilitate them.
SUPPORT
For support with online courses, please contact course-support@libraryjournal.com .
THIS COURSE CONSISTS OF 3 ON-DEMAND MODULES:
Module 1: From “great idea” to “impactful need”
In this module, you’ll learn how to conduct a need assessment and why it strengthens your funding request. You’ll explore different types of data to tap into and quick assessments that inform the impact of your ideas. Lastly, you’ll wrap up the module by gathering and drafting a shortlist of ideas that are likely to make the most impact on your school community.
Module 2: From impactful need to a fundable request
In this module, you’ll learn techniques to prioritize needs based on impact, starting with your own list of ideas generated in module 1. You’ll determine the why, who and what of your proposal, and write a concise need statement that demonstrates impact. By the end, you’ll have a statement that can be used with school principals, the PTA, grant funders and more!
Module 3: From fundable request to funding partners
In this final module, you’ll learn about internal and external sources of funding that are ready to be tapped into. You'll learn about the school funding ecosystem, plus the ins and outs of asking for funding at the right time of year. You’ll discover strategies for finding external funding partners, tailoring your message to the funders’ needs, and gain insight into your district’s policies around external support. Lastly, you’ll close the loop to show appreciation for and sustain relationships with funders.
COURSE ADVISOR
Amanda Chacon, MLS, Course Operations Manager at Library Journal/School Library Journal
 Amanda is a NISE STEM-certified Future Ready Librarian® who also is a LEGO Education Teacher Ambassador, Canva Teacher Ambassador, Amazon Future Engineer Teacher Ambassador Mentor, and, most recently, was selected as the School Library Journal 2024 Librarian of the Year, Sam Houston State Distinguished Educator of the year, and a 2024 Library Journal Mover & Shaker. She believes the library is a place where all students are welcome to explore their interests and creativity. Special interests include how STEAM and literacy intersect and support one another, as well as community engagement and initiatives, especially in Title I schools. Amanda has been in education for 22 years and a librarian for 15 years.
DISCOUNTED RATES ARE AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY
Secure your tickets now to lock in the best price!
| Rate | Early Bird | Standard |
| Deadline |
April 6, 2026 |
May 6, 2026 |
| Ticket Price |
$225 |
$269 |
GROUP RATES
We offer discounts for groups of 3 or more.
For larger groups of 15 or more, we offer the option to apply group rates across multiple courses to receive significant discounts. For more information, select Bulk Course Credits Packages in the form below.
Request Discounted Group Pricing
For support with group purchases, please contact groupsales@libraryjournal.com .
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Register by March 3, 2026
4 On-Demand Course Modules
Recommended for librarians and library administration at public, school, and academic libraries
