Describes how three public library youth librarians used statistics to justify budget requests, change resource allocations, expand services, and show benefits of new services to the community. Examples are provided under the following headings: Show what's missing; Show what's gone wrong; Show what's going right; Show inequities; and Compare and…

Excerpts from testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources regarding the proposed Technology for Education Act highlights the need for strong school library media collections and programs in addition to the latest technology. Highlights include funding, expenditures, media centers and student achievement, librarians'…

Gives 10 essential tips for building children's collections, including using a systematic spending plan; applying circulation figures; making replacement purchases a priority; getting more copies and fewer titles; allocating funds for popular paperbacks; buying paperback fiction; seeking basic skills materials; taking advantage of vendor services;…

Presents findings from the "School Library Journal" survey of school library expenditures for FY 1997-98. Data include: budget allocation; salaries; library collection; technology; staff and certification; access to basic electronic resources; library policy; planning and communication between library media specialists and teachers; and…

Presents recommendations for developing sound baby collections that include selecting books that: have designs infants are attracted to, provide tactile experiences, incorporate rhymes, have rounded edges (board books), and can be cleaned (cloth books). Includes an alphabetical list of good books for babies, as well as books on planning a lapsit…

Describes programs developed by the Chicago School District to renovate and revitalize its school libraries. Topics include funding, other educational reforms in the district, updating library collections, updating librarians' skills, increasing budgets through grants, flexible scheduling, corporate support, relations with the Chicago Public…

Identifies library values affected by technology, including respect for and privacy of the individual, equality of user needs, and freedom of purpose and access. Fundamental changes that may result from technology are predicted in the areas of the library role, functions of staff, fees for services and document delivery, and costs of local and…

Describes results of a survey of Native American school libraries that was conducted to measure the extent to which they have acquired the minimum base of resources and personnel mandated by federal legislation. Results are compared with those from an earlier survey, and improvements for Native American libraries are suggested. (five references)…

Describes programs developed at Houston Public Library to meet information needs of the immigrant population. Highlights include serving students, children's and young adult collections of foreign language materials, folklore and cultural materials, developing staff expertise, English-language materials, audiovisual support materials, and foreign…

Second survey report (first was published October 1983) presents information on expenditures in library media centers for resources and audiovisual equipment, condition of collections and patterns in collection development, staffing and educational background of head library media specialist, and patterns of use of microcomputers by students and…

Relates the role of Al Sandrini, superintendent of the Norris (CA) School District, in expanding the school libraries, including materials and staffing. Discusses what made him a strong library advocate, investing district money in libraries, site-based management, and how school librarians can be strong advocates. (LRW)

The sixth in a series of "School Library Journal" reports on trends in school library expenditures for program development shows that commitment to the teaching and motivating of reading is in conflict with fascination with technology and that access to books is being seriously curtailed by the deteriorating state of school library collections.…

Discusses teenage pregnancy and sexuality and suggests ways in which librarians can help provide access to appropriate and needed information. Highlights include developing policies and procedures for dealing with sexual issues, collection development, organizing information and making it accessible, and a brief teen pregnancy bibliography. (LRW)

Urges librarians to weed their nonfiction collections, particularly in the areas of science and technology, geography, and political science, and argues that it is better to send students from the library empty handed than to supply them with obsolete books. Guidelines for evaluating and weeding the reference and circulating collections are…

Describes cooperative planning and projects with teachers, students, and the library media specialist at an elementary school to help update the library to meet current and future information needs. Highlights include flexible scheduling; resource sharing; classes in library skills; computer technology; and updating the collection to include…