Political advocacy continues to gain ground in the state of Washington after the landmark Washington state legislative support of emergency funding ($4.09 million) for library media centers during the 2008 legislative session. This stepped-up political advocacy is due to the efforts of the Washington Library Media Association Advocacy members…

This article is the second part of a two-part article on a learning project developed through the Independent Learning Centre (ILC) program at Concordia Lutheran College. The first part of this article can be found in the January 2009 issue of this journal and discusses how the applications of the "AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner"…

Mentoring is defined as a professional relationship between an experienced person and inexperienced person. When newly hired library media specialists enter their schools, they often become part of the district's mentoring program. Yet, mentoring these new professionals can be problematic for school districts. In addition, when a library media…

Some essential components of "keeping current" with trends and new developments in the school library field for library media specialists includes attending conferences and reading professional literature. Beginning in May 2007, one article on "keeping up" each year has been devoted to summarizing the major themes in conferences and professional…

Discussion of spirituality in schools focuses on Native American images, especially as used for school mascots and product marketing. Includes various resources, both electronic and printed, that are helpful to school library media specialists as well as other educators. (LRW)

Considers the differences in meaning between collaboration and cooperation and suggests methods to help library media specialists collaborate with faculty members. Topics include benefits in co-planning and teaching; barriers to collaboration; encouraging teachers to collaborate; and resources to help plan and teach collaboratively. (LRW)

Universities offering school library media programs seek accreditation from various regional and national organizations. This accreditation makes the programs valid and marketable. School media programs within a college of education seek accreditation from specialized accrediting bodies. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education…

Presents a list of 26 books, 3 journal articles, and 7 ERIC resources on diversity and multiculturalism that can be used by media specialists and shared with teachers. (LRW)

Annotates 41 Web sites that contain information on children's authors and illustrators that can be used to supplement print resources in school library media centers. Includes collective sites, individual sites, and publisher's sites. (LRW)

Discusses books and films that have themes relating to water that are suitable for elementary school children and suggests activities that can be used to complement them, including writing and designing exhibits. Materials from various cultural backgrounds are suggested, and a list of 62 books and 5 films is provided. (LRW)

Provides a brief historical background of apartheid in South Africa and reviews 19 resources for Black History Month under the subject headings of multicultural resources, general, history, laughter and play, South Africa, and African American heritage. (LRW)

Discusses sequential art, also known as comic books or graphic novels, as reading motivators, as content, as literature, and as the subject itself. Includes comic resources for school library media specialists and describes the White House Conference that Laura Bush has promoted that has given library media centers national visibility. (LRW)

Discusses school library media specialists and library programs and the need to promote them to make them more visible. Focuses on the need for advocacy and suggests steps to take, including collaboration with teachers, principals, and other media specialists; and includes resources for advocacy, starting with the AASL (American Association of…

Discusses issues of diversity, including biculturalism and multiculturalism, based on the author's personal experiences in New Zealand and other locations. An annotated bibliography of four sources that are useful background materials for school library media specialists is included. (LRW)

Discussion of reference sources for the study of science and technology focuses on an annotated list of eight less expensive sources that supplement standard materials such as encyclopedias. An example of an activity designed for grades five, six, or seven that deals with inventions related to water is included. (LRW)