Proposes that librarians and teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) form partnerships, and describes roles and suggested activities of librarians and teachers in such a partnership. ESL collection development is discussed, covering funding, selection, foreign language materials, nonprint materials, and the professional collection. (11…

To carry out their roles as information providers, instructional consultants, and teachers, school library media professionals must demonstrate competence in at least five specific functions, including communication, collection management, organization, administration, and instructional leadership. Principals need to understand school libraries'…

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…

The African American church has a long history of service to its community. The church in African American life has always served as a source of support, learning, information, and improvement for its members and the community it serves. This project directed its resources and energies toward developing meaningful and effective strategies for…

Argues that school libraries should maintain a commitment to encourage reading and have concern for the enrichment of the individual's imaginative and creative life. Describes a variety of ways the school libraries in the United Kingdom promote reading. (RS)

Libraries serve our nation and its citizens in two primary ways: by preserving our common culture, and by nurturing and sustaining democracy itself. A particular democratic function of libraries is fostering reading. As noted in two reports recently issued by the U.S. Department of Education, "What Works" and "First Lessons," it is imperative to…

Discusses the value of having a good library media-center newsletter that ensures consistent positive visibility and suggests topics to consider, including requesting teacher input on collection development, explaining computer software, book talks, copyright issues, current Web sites, biographies of new teachers, and media-center projects. (LRW)

Attention to school libraries must be at the heart of any comprehensive plan for improving youth literacy. Excellent school libraries are essential if young people are to have access to the reading resources to help them gain the level of literacy achievement vital to meeting the challenge of the twenty-first century. Sections of the booklet…

Overview of the new guidelines for school library media programs developed cooperatively by the American Association of School Librarians and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology reviews issues such as information studies curriculum, planning, media specialist roles, personnel, and information resources. (MES)

Discusses the role of school libraries in literacy and independent reading habits for adolescents. Highlights include the sad state of school libraries in Indiana, how much to spend on books for middle grades school libraries, the time frame for rebuilding school library collections, and the Reading Bill of Rights. Sample inventory procedures and…

Describes changes brought about by a Library Power initiative at an inner city magnet school in Chattanooga (Tennessee). Highlights include: Library Power beliefs; collaborative planning between the library media specialist and teachers; the new role of the library media specialist as an information specialist, teacher, and instructional…

Discusses challenges to the library media specialist, particularly the collection developer, in developing a global perspective, analyzing the impact of new technologies on the collection, and promoting understanding of the connectedness of information within the collection. Strategies for promoting global education are suggested. (31 references)…

The traditional role of the school librarian encompassed collection development, reading guidance and literature promotion, and reference. Over time these functions have expanded and participation in carrying out functions has become more active. For instance, the teaching role of the library media specialist is a dramatic and far-reaching…

Discusses the role of the school librarian in the electronic age. Topics include expanding services to include computer-based data and information-seeking strategies; working with classroom teachers; collection development versus access to information; information-center managers; and the teaching role of the school librarian. (LRW)

Library media specialists are critically positioned to make a significant contribution to instituting gender-fair practices within a school. This article discusses instructional materials, curriculum, and collection development; gender culture and the media center; sports, gender, and different ways of knowing; and science, gender, and different…