School library professionals often complain that their principal or district-level administrators have a poor understanding of the work that they do. Reasons for this are varied and have been well documented in school library literature. The bottom line is that administrators' lack of education regarding the important contributions that the school…

The state of Virginia is in danger of cutting library resources to meet the state's Standards of Quality (SOQs), which assigns a minimum requirement for staffing a library. There is no greater time to advocate for school libraries. The author argues that now, more than ever, is the time to continue advocacy efforts to provide quality staffing for…

Media centers have been transformed from warehouses for books and equipment into the hub of the learning community. Media specialists keep the hub functioning properly. If school library media specialists are doing their job well, they are making a difference in the ways teachers teach and in the ways students learn. On any given day, a media…

When the authors met through a mutual colleague, Gail Dickinson at Old Dominion University, Karen and Shana set about to examine issues that do not normally interest sociologists--the number of days school libraries are closed and whether or not library schedules (fixed or flexed) impact student achievement. However, Shana, a sociologist who…

The author's current position had an established program of using high school seniors as library aides. She was comfortable with such a program, and knew the students could do a good job if taught correctly. She didn't count on the variety of memorable moments that would occur with these student workers. In this article, the author shares some of…

Students and teachers are feeling the brunt of "No Child Left Behind," trying to make meaningful academic growth with ever decreasing resources. School library media specialist are considered one of the most valuable resources in any school building. As the ultimate "resource manager," library media specialists can contribute…

Designing curricula around the standards, with clearly delineated strategies, expectations, and evaluative procedures, is thought to assure that growth in student achievement may be tracked. While this process can sometimes be nebulous, one thing is certain: clearly understanding what is involved in reaching a degree of excellence and determining…