Technologists may find themselves alone on the bleachers trying to find supporters for the next "it" technology. Despite their enthusiasm, many times "it" ends up unused because a thorough evaluation was not performed prior to purchase. Before technologists lobby for approval or support of a new project, the author presents five questions for them…

Building a personal learning network (PLN) for intellectual freedom has long been an important role of a school librarian; however, in the steadily increasing onslaught of digital information that librarians face today, and in the future, the task has become mission-critical. Personal learning, it stands to reason, requires an appropriate dialogue…

School librarians need to be proactive in identifying new ways to help students prepare for the world of the future. Students need relevant educational experiences that support emerging demands created by information and service based economies. The economies of Pacific Rim countries such as the USA, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Canada are…

As we approach the second decade of the twenty-first century, school library media programs continue to undergo momentous changes that have heightened the importance of technology and evidence-based learning. The focus has moved from the library as a confined place to one with fluid boundaries that is layered by diverse needs and influenced by an…

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become an integral tool in enhancing library services worldwide. This article looks at ways technology is utilized at Massey University to bridge the gap between distance students and traditional library services. There are a variety of software providers, formats and implementation practices…

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) have both recently launched new standards. These are known as the "AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner" and "The National Educational Technology Standards for Students: The Next Generation" (NETS). The standards from each…

This article details the development of the Library Instruction Wiki (http://instructionwiki.org): an effort to develop a web-based, knowledge-sharing resource. Though some library instruction is specific to a given institution or class, much of what instruction librarians teach is similar. Library instructors have repeatedly expressed the desire…

Creating digital videos provides students with practice in critical 21st century communication skills, as the video production involves critical thinking, general observation, and analysis and perspective-making skills. Producing video helps students appreciate literature and other expressions of information and students creating digital video…

This book explores the creative opportunities offered by information and communications technology (ICT), and provides an authoritative survey of the ways in which ICT is currently transforming core teaching functions. The contributed chapters in this book are organizes around these core processes of learning and teaching: subject matter…

This annual publication describes and appraises activities and trends in the field of information science and technology. The chapters contain scholarly reviews of specific topics as substantiated by the published literature. This volume's nine chapters fit within a basic framework of four sections: "Planning Information Systems and…

Technology is arriving in school libraries in unprecedented quantities, resulting in many changes in the school library media center. While most librarians agree that technology is wonderful, many are feeling the stress of rapid change and coping with the decisions made by educational policy makers. This looseleaf notebook, written for the novice,…

This book is a compilation of over 400 hints and ideas written by practicing school library media and technology specialists. Ideas are drawn from the "ShopTalk" column in "Library Talk: The Magazine for Elementary School Library Media and Technology Specialists." The book is organized in the following eight sections: (1) Putting Your Best Image…

Aimed at secondary school library media specialists who are undertaking the transition to block scheduling, this book examines the essential components of the library media program in a block-scheduled school and provides useful handouts, lesson plans, and the experiences of four practitioners through their case studies. The following chapters are…

This book uses planning forms and examples to help media specialists and teachers focus on ways to effectively and purposefully add technology. The 22 collaborations connect with standards-based education in language arts, math, science, and social studies. Ideas for whole-class projects are also included. Each unit example begins with a completed…

This book, developed by the Iowa City Community School District, recipient of the National Library Media Program of the year Award in 1997, provides a complete K-12 curriculum, with details on when key basic information, research, and production skills should be introduced, expanded, and reviewed. The book is divided into four parts: Part I:…