This discussion of the new AASL/AECT (American Association of School Librarians/Association for Educational Communications and Technology) guidelines for school library media programs, covers the first three chapters. These chapters deal with objectives for school library media programs, activities characteristic of good library media programs,…

Includes reviews of "Information Power," the guidelines for school library media programs published by the American Library Association and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, by a library media specialist, a school library consultant, a professor of school librarianship, a high school librarian, and a…

Discusses the lack of literature relating to cultural differences and school library media programs and reviews the book "Beyond Culture" by Edward T. Hall. Highlights include the population/environment crisis, cultural literacy, the use of technology, and Marshall McLuhan's idea of the global village. (LRW)

Reviews recent resources for assessing school library media programs and discusses the importance of program assessment. Circulation statistics and personal approaches to assessment are described, and the findings of three research reports on the effectiveness of school library media programs are discussed. (KRN)

The second of a two-part series discusses the new American Association of School Librarians/Association for Educational Communication Technology guidelines for school library media programs, focusing on the final five chapters which cover (1) personnel; (2) resources and equipment; (3) facilities; (4) planning and administration; and (5) district,…

Describes a reference source for middle school students on biotechnology that is useful for science and social science curricula as well as interdisciplinary approaches. Explains the four-volume format and various features that make it useful to media specialists and students. (LRW)

Reviews four articles from the "Phi Delta Kappan" that describe the educational context impacting the school library media profession. Topics covered include the educational system from the viewpoint of the National Commission on Excellence in Education report "A Nation at Risk"; strengths and weaknesses of American education;…

Reviews 19 recent publications from professional associations and the federal government that address areas impacting directly on school library media programs and media specialists. Suggestions for obtaining and using the publications are offered. (CLB)

Describes the Macintosh CD-ROM edition of "Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary" and discusses advantages and disadvantages of using the electronic dictionary in library media skills instruction. Use in large group instruction is discussed and advantages are highlighted, including the large print feature, sound feature, and ability…

Discussion of several of the objectives in Information Power, the new American Association of School Librarians/Association for Educational Communications and Technology guidelines for library media specialists, considers such topics as access to information and the role of the media specialist. (eight references) (MES)

Describes a videodisk called "Draw and Color Funny Doodles with Uncle Fred" on drawing for an elementary school curriculum. Library media skills objectives, art objectives, grade levels, resources, instructional roles, activities/procedures, evaluation, and follow-up are included. (LRW)

Discusses ways in which online searching promotes the development of research, computer, and critical thinking skills, and reviews two databases that offer access to information on elementary school science. Lesson activities for grades four through six are suggested, and information on the vendor, system requirements, and cost of each database is…

Suggests sources of information for African American History Month for library media specialists who work with students in grades four through eight. Gale Research's "African-American Reference Library," which includes "African-America Biography,""African-American Chronology," and "African-American Almanac,"…

Reviews "Facts Plus: An Almanac of Essential Information" by Susan C. Anthony, an authoritative, user-friendly almanac for students in grades 3-9. An accompanying teacher's guide containing almost 200 pages of activities is described; and a lesson based on a crossword puzzle from the guide that helps students interpret charts, graphs,…

Discusses access to Internet resources in school libraries, including the importance of evaluating content and appropriate use. The following online services that provide current factual information from legitimate resources are described: SIRS (Social Issues Resource Series), InfoTrac, EBSCO Host, SearchBank, and the Electric Library. (MES)