This study was designed to update the existing research and to examine the relationship between library media programs and student achievement. The schools selected for the study sample were not selected on a random basis; rather, they were library media centers (LMCs) that responded to a 1989 survey of Colorado LMCs. The study relied entirely…

Basic options for the automation of management functions in the school library media center are the circulation system, the online catalog, the acquisitions system, and the serials check-in. In order to select the most appropriate system, library media specialists must: (1) research both the library's needs and the technologies available, and (2)…

This digest discusses how libraries of all types are using the facsimile (or "fax") machine to meet users' information needs. A definition of facsimile technology includes the components of a fax machine, the four types of fax machines, and the recent development of the "fax board," which allows a computer to transmit…

The Internet is an international computer network encompassing thousands of smaller interconnected networks. This digest describes various uses of the Internet and its impact on libraries, as well as Internet-related library issues. The Internet applications of electronic mail (E-mail), telnet, and file transfer protocol (FTP) are briefly…

This digest is an annotated listing of 50 Internet resources for library media specialists and children's librarians. The resources are organized under the following headings: AskA services; electronic discussion groups; evaluation; Internet basics; keeping current; information literacy; lesson plans; online journals and book reviews; policy;…

Based on a content analysis of professional journals, conference proceedings, ERIC documents, annuals, and dissertations in library and information science, the following current trends in the field are discussed: (1) there are important emerging roles and responsibilities for information professionals; (2) the status and image of librarians…

Brittle paper, cheap bindings, mistreatment, and poor storage conditions are threatening to destroy thousands of scholarly documents throughout the United States unless preservation activities are successfully incorporated into all levels of library operations. In order for the preservation and access to information movement to succeed, there must…

It has been observed that one historical role of the public library is serving the nation's youth. Current economic and social conditions have created the phenomenon of the "latchkey child"--the school-aged child who has no parent or guardian at home after school hours and has no alternative care arrangement. In light of this, this…

This digest discusses some of the major trends and issues found in a systematic content review of the professional literature of library and information science. Two "megatrends" are identified and discussed: (1) the concern for the impact of technology upon every facet of library work, in academic, school, public, and special libraries;…

By mid 2001, researchers affiliated with the Library Research Service of the Colorado State Library and the University of Denver had completed four statewide studies on the impact of school library media programs on the achievement of U.S. public school students: Information Empowered: The School Librarian as an Agent of Academic Achievement in…

Public libraries have a responsibility toward all of their patrons, including home schoolers. "Home schooling" describes the situation where parents or guardians choose not to send their children to public or private schools, but instead educate their children themselves. Libraries are very important to home schoolers because, in most…

This ERIC Digest is intended to help eligible school library personnel write an effective proposal for the "Improving Literacy Through School Libraries" (LSL) grant program, which provides funding for high-need K-12 school library programs to improve reading achievement by providing students with increased access to school library…

Two recent studies clarify the growing importance of tribal college libraries in the overall tribal effort to educate Indian people. Cheryl Duran (1991) applied Flamholtz's organizational development model to the role of libraries in the development of tribal colleges. During the new venture, expansion, professional, and consolidation stages,…

Much of the concern among librarians and educators as to the legality of library lending and classroom use of copyrighted videotapes is the result of "Home Use Only" labeling and other information supplied by the Motion Picture Association of America and some of its members. Much of this labeling and information is misleading and…

Living in an "information society" implies dealing with a barrage of information on a daily basis, with success and survival dependent on the ability to locate, analyze, and use information skillfully and appropriately. Information literacy, which has been defined as the ability to effectively access and evaluate information for a…