School librarians know the importance of collaboration. They cannot run effective school library programs unless they work closely with classroom teachers. They have learned that deep collaboration is a fluid process that evolves over time. Only as connections are made and relationships are forged can real instructional progress occur. Yet it…

According to the author, one of her most important goals as a school librarian is to inspire her students to become lifelong lovers of reading. She recognizes that she cannot do this alone, and one of her most powerful partners is a parent. She can encourage a child to check out a book that may open their eyes to the wonders of literature, but if…

The arts have their place in every facet of a school, and the library is no exception. Thinking beyond traditional definitions, arts education could include teaching creative problem solving as well as continuous questioning of issues and ideas. The media center is the perfect venue to showcase students' efforts in the arts. This article gives…

The school library media center should be a place that every student and teacher feels compelled to visit on a daily basis. Offering good, informative orientations can provide the direction needed to ensure that happens. Orientations should be part of every school library media specialist's job description and role. Orientations can be as long or…

What is steampunk? Most call it Victorian science fiction. Steampunk can claim such authors as H.G. Wells and Jules Verne as its earliest writers. These two Victorian/Edwardian era writers created steampunk settings in books such as "The Time Machine" and "Journey to the Center of the Earth". In the 1990s, writers such as William Gibson, Bruce…

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…

In spite of nationwide budget cuts, the potential of school libraries to positively impact student achievement has never been higher. Schools cannot afford to do without strong school library programs. It is the professional responsibility of librarians to fight for their programs, using warrior tactics to survive and thrive through tough economic…

When American Association of School Librarians' (AASL) "Standards for the 21st Century Learner" were released in late 2007, librarians rushed to incorporate them in curricula at the local and state level and in existing lessons. After an initial frenzy of simply replacing old learning objectives with new ones, the field settled into the task of…

Due to a recent American Association of School Librarians (AASL) survey that indicated confusion, misperceptions, and inconsistencies about various job titles in the school librarian profession, the organization's leadership chose to officially adopt for the profession the title school librarian. They did this after carefully reviewing the data…

Web-based presentation tools are sometimes referred to as "next generation presentation tools" (EDUCAUSE, 2010). At the most basic level, these tools are simply online versions of traditional presentation software, such as Microsoft's PowerPoint or Apple's Keynote, but some services offer features like web-based collaboration, online presentation…

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…

The American Library Association says that the arrangement of library facilities should motivate students to use the materials to learn. Believing that changing the library facility can bring about important changes in the program, this author shares how she became a "decorator" and changed the library media center in an elementary K-6 school. The…

Librarians can--and should--be on the lookout for new and unique ways to improve their instructional skill sets and service. One out-of-the-box opportunity to consider is to study--by reading, watching, or participating in--improvisational theater. Improv games and theater are like life: performers who may or may not know each other are given…

A library should be a free place where people can access and share information. Many school libraries have such strict access to Internet resources that patrons are blocked even from many educational sites. Restrictions do need to be in place to protect students from online predators and inappropriate content, but access needs to be carefully…

Today media centers provide students the opportunity to learn and explore subjects of their interest in depth. The media center is the largest classroom in the school providing service to every student and every teacher in all curricular areas. The library should be a place to encourage students' interests and a place to broaden their horizons by…