In the fall and winter of 2020, New America embarked on a snapshot study to gather data on how--or if--people were discovering, accessing, and using their public libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on materials that libraries made available online. Our findings, which include data from a national survey of 2,620 people, highlight…

Just four months ago, a class of 20 first graders at Monarch Academy, a K-5 charter school in Oakland, California, couldn't operate a mouse, much less log in to and operate a digital program. By February, the kids had become capable computer users, able to tackle a range of activities and the Web and ready for the next new thing their…

Do library catalogs compete with Google or is it the other way around? We know which came first but which will finish in the end? Only trained library professionals were considered qualified to develop reliable catalog records. However, with the increased sophistication of search engines, we are beginning to realize that a collaborative effort may…

School librarians need to be proactive in identifying new ways to help students prepare for the world of the future. Students need relevant educational experiences that support emerging demands created by information and service based economies. The economies of Pacific Rim countries such as the USA, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Canada are…

Since the earliest days of the profession, school libraries have been establishing standards and guidelines to guide and shape school library programs. For the most part, the standards have shaped what programs are and what they do. Rarely has a set of standards focused on the content and process of what school libraries teach students. The…

The library, as we once knew it, may no longer be relevant. And, yet, this is undoubtedly the most exciting time in history to be a librarian. The future of the school library as a relevant and viable institution is largely dependent on librarians and how quickly they respond to change. They worry about their field and their practice. They worry…

No Child Left Behind and state testing mandate the study of government officials, at local, state, and federal levels, in judicial, legislative, and executive branches. At Wattles Elementary School in Troy, Michigan, test scores indicated that this was a weak area--not surprising since this always has been primarily a high school subject. In this…

Now that "everything is on the Net," what are the roles of K-12 libraries and librarians in a digital-age learning environment? School library media specialists (SLMSs) work with classroom instructors and learners throughout the educational process: from curriculum development to unit/module/lesson plan development and delivery, integrating…

The global computing networks that are revolutionizing our society have created an opportunity for school libraries and librarians. Taking the position that librarians occupy key positions in the educational technology revolution, this book explores how technology-enhanced education improvements fit together with the library media program and how…

Nine papers focusing on the future of the Internet in schools and the role of teacher librarians include: "The Internet and TL's Role in the School: A Point of View" (Karen Bonnano); "The Internet Challenge: Using Technology in Context To Meet Educational Goals" (Michael B. Eisenberg); "Fire and Sparks: Evolutionary…

This paper studies the extent of Internet connectivity and usage among Southeast Asian libraries and how many of them are using the Internet to provide electronic information resources and services through their homepages. It also presents a case study of the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Library's strategy in promoting the use of the Internet…

In 1995, the Lexington County, South Carolina School District 2 began implementing their "Technology Task Force Position Statement" for effectively incorporating technology into the curriculum. This transformed Springdale Elementary School's computer ownership from a few Apple II-E computers for the entire school to one with as many as…

Focuses on the issue of ethical use of the Internet in schools, and suggests that by devising and implementing acceptable use policies, and providing students with a set of ethical guidelines, schools and libraries can deal with the situation before it becomes a problem. Discusses and the need for parents to be included in policy formation and to…

This videotape is designed to accompany the "Libraries of the Future Staff Development Pack." The clips are taken from the NCET-TV "Teaching and Learning with IT" series, first broadcast on BBC2's Learning Zone. It consists of three sections: (1) "Developing Learners' Skills" includes skills for multimedia authoring, enquiry-based approaches to…

This proceedings of the fourth Libraries Without Walls Conference addresses key strategic issues arising from international, regional, and cross-sectoral approaches to the provision of library services to distant users. The following papers are included: Theme 1: Libraries and Virtual Learning Environments: "Introduction" (Peter Brophy,…