This mixed-methods action research study investigated the impact of makerspaces on student creativity. Seventy fifth-grade students were exposed to makerspaces for 12 weeks. Quantitative data were collected using two assessment instruments. Prior to the experience, the students were given a preassessment of their creative potential using the…

Studies show that more students fail or withdraw from college mathematics courses than any other. To address this concern, the Mathematics Department at the University of North Dakota opened its Mathematics Learning Center (MLC) in the fall of 2000. In this study, the effectiveness of the MLC and the free tutoring offered for students in freshman…

Describes a study designed to examine the relationship between curriculum material centers in academic libraries and types of universities. The discussion covers the difficulties in examining this relationship caused by inconsistent methods of recording statistics at centers, and the lack of a clear definition of curriculum material centers. (10…

Describes a study of 39 Texas public elementary schools that investigated the effect of school climate and teacher characteristics on the cooperation between teachers and school library media specialists. The involvement of school librarians in instruction is discussed, and suggestions are offered for increasing their involvement. (33 references)…

Reports an interview with the director of School Match, a firm that has created a database of information on public and private schools to assist relocated families in identifying the best local schools. The firm's finding that library and media services' expenditures relates most significantly to student achievement is discussed. (CLB)

Describes a study of the characteristics of Texas elementary school teachers that was conducted to examine possible relationships between the number of times teachers voluntarily chose the library media specialist to cooperate with them on instructional problems and other teacher-related factors, including teacher competence, gender, and grade…

Discussion of free voluntary reading focuses on a study that tracked students' reading progress in reading motivation programs in elementary and secondary schools. Topics include standardized test results for sixth graders; media center collections and circulation statistics; and correlation of total reading minutes and total reading score. (LRW)

Describes the development of an instrument for evaluating building-level school library media programs based on "Information Power," the American Association of School Libraries' guidelines for such programs. Data collection at an Oklahoma teleconference is described, the use of factor analysis is explained, construct validity is…

Reports on a study that provides evidence of the positive impact of library media centers on academic achievement in 221 Colorado public schools during the 1988-89 school year. The importance of library media expenditures in making staff and collections available and the library media specialist's instructional role are verified. (two references)…

Discusses the major findings of the 1988-89 study that investigated the impact of school library media centers on academic achievement in Colorado public schools. Highlights include research methodology; the effects of staff size, collection variety, funding, and library media specialists' instructional role; and suggestions for further research.…

This report summarizes an investigation of the relationship between public elementary school students' achievement in reading and study skills and several aspects of the library media program. Data were collected from a statewide survey of library media programs and personnel, district summaries of reading achievement scores for fourth and seventh…

Discussion of the information search process (ISP) from the user's perspective focuses on a model of the ISP derived from longitudinal studies of high school and college students. Cognitive and affective aspects of the ISP are discussed, and their implications for future research are suggested. (31 references) (LRW)

Assesses the impact of libraries on one measure of high school reading proficiency, the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Data on per pupil expenditures, computer software, teacher to student ratio, public library circulation, and books per student in the school library media center were analyzed from all 50 United States and…

Discussion of the relationship between reading ability and library quality and use focuses on results of a multiple regression analysis of data that examined fourth-grade scores on the 1992 NAEP Reading Comprehension test. Highlights include books per student in school library media centers, circulation in public libraries, and software available.…