There persists an intense debate on whether or not the traditional reference desk should be in academic libraries. Yet, despite many anti-desk studies, the place of the reference desk still remains. This paper aims to review the current significance of the reference desk for some libraries, as well as the importance of choosing the proper…

We are at a transformative moment in education with the almost universal adoption (forty-five states, the District of Columbia, and four territories) of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). As we move from adoption to implementation of these standards across the country, the climate for educational reform has led to expectations of change that…

During the past year, Wisconsin state legislators debated a series of bills aimed at closing low-performing public schools and replacing them with privately run charter schools. These proposals were particularly targeted at Milwaukee, the state's largest and poorest school district. Ultimately, the only legislation enacted was a bill that modestly…

Georgia's Choice/America's Choice (GC/AC) is a school reform model, which was adopted in approximately 160 schools across the state to focus on student work and achievement, to align the instructional process and to place emphasis on results. Library Media Specialists (LMSs) are important to school community's spirit of acceptance and should serve…

Since the mid-1980s, the Tuscany (Italy) regional government, the University of Florence (adult education department), and the Commune of Castelfiorentino have participated in a joint project aimed at narrowing the ever-widening gap between different segments of the Castelfiorentino population with regard to education and culture. The project…

Discussion of the evolving role of the school library media specialist focuses on a model of the teaching role in the development of a critical thinking curriculum. Topics addressed include literacy redefined; restructuring media programs; collection development and information access; staffing changes; and intervention and evaluation strategies.…

This document was prepared as a guide for educators in Manitoba (Canada) to facilitate the implementation of the resource-based learning model implicit in the province's curriculum guides from kindergarten through Senior 4 and to integrate the instructional programs of the classroom and the school library as specified by the provincial department…

Presents a model for a course on information literacy that was developed by librarians at California State University at San Marcos. Topics include the role of the library in higher education reform; active learning activities; convincing faculty and administrators of the need for information literacy courses; and future implementation. (LRW)

Discusses future education for library media specialists that will reflect the changes being brought about as a result of school restructuring. Topics include an educational model based on instructional specialization, realigned staffing patterns, a global perspective, information literacy, and helping students construct effective mental…

Considers the role of school media librarians in changing educational environments. Highlights include a future education scenario; educational improvement; electronic information networking; constructivist versus instructional models of schooling; school computer network development, including costs; and library media leadership, including…