In this paper, we share our findings from a curricular innovation project: a small pilot study replacing a conventional professional communication textbook with an open access book. Results showed that students received the change favorably, and a final grade comparison showed no variation between similar courses that used conventional books and…

Incentivizing faculty adoption of Open Educational Resources (OER) as a method for reducing textbook costs to increase access and affordability of higher education has been an area of development in academic libraries. This study describes the experience at Lehman College, CUNY, the only four-year public college in the Bronx, NY and the alignment…

Open Educational Resources (OERs) are online classroom content that can be reused, modified, and shared freely. The University of Maryland University College (UMUC) undertook a project to redesign its undergraduate curriculum using OERs in place of traditional textbooks. UMUC librarians have played a critical role in this project, helping to find…

This report explains the key role that school librarians and libraries should play in state- and district-wide efforts to transition to digital learning, or the effective use of technology to improve teaching and learning. The report calls for district and school leaders, policymakers, and boards of education to support, encourage, and fund the…

Although the need for adequate exploitation of limited resources is a recurring theme in discussions on school based curriculum development, surprisingly little attention in the education literature has focused on the possible role of the school librarian as school resources coordinator and contact point for resources outside the school. The…

Discussion of professional ethics for school library media specialists highlights issues involving copyright. Ethics and the school curriculum is discussed, the librarian's code of ethics is reviewed, educating teachers as well as students about copyright law is suggested, and resources dealing with copyright issues are listed. (18 references)…

Describes four peer networking projects initiated by school library media specialists in Georgia that promoted curriculum development, collection development and library services, cooperation between school and public libraries to share online resources, and cooperation between public and school libraries to share magazine articles. (LRW)

Discusses recommendations on how social studies concepts should be presented to elementary and secondary school students so that broad understandings and problem-solving skills emerge. Intervention strategies that might be useful to library media specialists as they help teachers and students with resource-based units of instruction are described.…

Discusses teaching responsibilities and related activities of school library media specialists; considers the role of teachers and media specialists as researchers; discusses testing, reasons for testing, and alternatives to testing, including portfolio evaluation; mentions the integration of mathematics into the curriculum, including library…

This annotated bibliography lists 35 1989 and 1990 publications for school library media specialists that address cataloging and technical services, general issues and perspectives, management, resources, the teaching role of the library media specialist, and technology. Collection development and incorporating literature into the curriculum are…

Describes three general trends related to technology that will influence school library media centers: (1) increasing volume and types of information in electronic form; (2) increasing resource sharing and networking; and (3) increasing attention to accountability and productivity. Implications relating to organization and structure, and…

Discusses collaborative planning for inquiry between teachers and library media specialists. Highlights include instructional media specialists; roles of teachers and library media specialists; curriculum development; learning resources; access over ownership; resource budgets; best practices for managing learning resource collections; and a…

School librarians have a vital role in improving the curriculum and assisting students to be happy, contented, and achieving individuals. Continuous progress of each librarian is a must through inservice education. Means of assisting librarians to attain well include: (1) a professional library with time set aside for reading and discussing ideas…

Discusses issues related to library support for Black Studies courses and programs. Recommends resources for Black Studies faculty to incorporate into their course syllabi and suggests strategies for institutionalizing library support for Black Studies programs. (Author/KH)

An elementary school librarian initiated a survey of school librarians in Arizona to discover how they dealt with problems in scheduling classes in their media centers and developing curriculum to teach library skills. Results were used to support proposed changes to provide more flexible scheduling and increase teacher/librarian cooperation. (EM)