Librarians love stories, and libraries are among the few forums that can offer exposure to collections of stories in various formats as well as encourage independent exploration and group discussion. Librarians read, encourage talking, writing about, and searching for stories, but this is text-based. What of the students new to the English…

Children are natural visual learners--they have been absorbing information visually since birth. They welcome opportunities to learn via images as well as to generate visual information themselves, and these opportunities present themselves every day. The importance of visual literacy can be conveyed through conversations and the teachable moment,…

The very nature of information seeking in today's world suggests that credibility is an important factor in how one goes about seeking and using information. The proliferation of Web-based resources and the ability for nearly anyone to publish on the Web force individuals to make judgments of quality and authority as they flow on- and offline in…

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) "Standards for the 21st-Century Learner" is filled with objectives that are mostly unobjectionable--and that would have been just as applicable in the twentieth century. Who, after all, would oppose the idea of "organizing knowledge so it's useful"? Who's going to deny the value of effective…

Literature for children and young adults is written for many different reasons. It is written purely to entertain, to help children and young adults understand the world they live in, or to help cope with problems they face. It can also be written to introduce new places, ideas, or situations to its readers, or to portray characters with whom…

This article introduces various writers, including Laurie Halse Anderson, Linda Sue Park, Richard Peck, James Patterson, and Charles R. Smith, Jr., who will give their presentations at the 2009 American Association of School Librarians (AASL) National Conference & Exhibition in Charlotte. This November the AASL National Conference and…

Secret spaces serve as mirrors in which children can explore themselves and play with identities, while at the same time they act as windows to the real world through which children develop an understanding of social interactions and societal norms and expectations. The understanding of secret spaces has important implications for the physical…

Presents findings of a study that examined the impact of a model urban library system in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) on children's literacy development, particularly for poor, minority families, and its relation to reading achievement. It is concluded that libraries are vital for children's achievement and developing informational needs. (MES)

Discusses the key role of the school library as an information commons that prepares tomorrow's citizens to recognize their rights and responsibilities in the information age. An action agenda for school librarians aimed at ensuring that young people will continue to have opportunities to participate in a digital age democracy is suggested. (MES)