The conceptualizing of and structuring of a learning commons shifts both the thinking of what a library media center is as well as its learning imperative in the school. Rather than being defined in terms of collections and instructional activities that focus primarily on an information-centric paradigm--the finding, accessing, and evaluating of…

This article is Part 3 of a three part summary of selected articles from the journals of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) over a period of thirty-five years from 1972 to 2007. This three-part series in the April, May, and June (2009) issues of "School Library Media Activities Monthly" ("SLMAM") illustrate the evolution in…

Whether a school library program is the picture of good health in a state that mandates a professionally staffed library media center in every building or is suffering in a low-wealth district that is facing drastic cuts, the recently launched toolkits by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) are stocked with useful strategies and…

This is Part 2 of a three-part summary of selected articles from the journals of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) over a period of thirty-five years from 1972 to 2007. This three-part series in the April, May, and June (2009) issues of "School Library Media Activities Monthly" ("SLMAM") will illustrate the evolution in…

Today many library resources are accessible 24/7. Students can be in the classroom, home, or at their favorite fast food place and do what once required a visit to the library. Electronic access to information has become a major part of the culture. No longer are students just watching a 16mm projected film in class; now they can access online…

The new "Standards for the 21st-Century Learner IN ACTION", presented like a colorful flowchart, was previewed without fanfare at the annual Midwinter meeting of the American Library Association in Denver, Colorado, in January (American Library Association 2009). This new publication does a good job in further defining the student…

Specific curriculum is taught at every grade level and it is the job of library media specialists to know subject area content. Library media specialists should develop collections to meet the content associated with curriculum standards. To ensure that these collections meet school needs, collection mapping with specific curriculum related to…

This is Part 1 of a three part series of articles summarizing selected articles from the journals of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) over a period of thirty-five years from 1972 to 2007. Part 1 traces the evolution of the library media specialist to emphasize a greater student-centered approach to teaching and learning.…

An essential literacy skill is asking questions. Because reading comprehension strategies should be taught directly and explicitly, students need to be told that they should ask questions throughout their research and that all questions are valid. While library media specialists are not reading teachers, the work they do with students in the…

It is common belief that most people can distinguish between right and wrong actions and usually make decisions to do the right thing. As educators, library media specialists are called upon to make decisions every day. Those decisions chart the course for that particular day and the future, for themselves and for those they work with. In this…

It is evident that many schools across the country are sweeping aside the fun and invigorating parts of education in order to prepare students for standardized tests. More and more classroom teachers are finding that they have less time to assign creative, hands-on projects and tasks to their students. On the elementary level, for example,…

In this article, the author explains how library media centers can be used as learning laboratories to foster creativity literate learners. She addresses the traits of autonomy and independence, wonderment and playfulness, humor and wit, and persistent and prolific work as they help or challenge creative thinkers, and discusses how they can be…

Of all the buzz words used in the school library media profession, "collaboration" evokes the strongest feelings--and not all of those feelings are positive. Some library media specialists are not convinced that collaboration is an essential part of their programs, yet collaboration seems to be essential in many other professions. In fact, there…

"LibraryThing" is a great way for library media specialists to keep track of the books they personally read. "LibraryThing" allows them to create a personal library, give their books tags, choose book covers, give star ratings, generate citations, and review books. Library media specialists can also connect to other readers and see their reviews.…

When a person walks into any library media center, he or she will, no doubt, see lots of students busily working on classroom assignments. While these students may be focused and industrious, the real question is what drives their work, and are they learning? Student learning comes from active efforts to construct knowledge that requires them to…