Recent years have seen a shift in educational institutions from the provision of traditional libraries to the creation of independent learning areas offering a greater diversity of facilities and services. This paper explores the essential characteristics of these places, especially in relation to student learning. The authors discuss six…

A checklist is presented to facilitate school faculty and administration decision making when contemplating the establishment of a school-wide media center. (JY)

The successful inclusion of school library media centers in fully articulated networks involves considerable planning and organization for technological change. In this study a preliminary model of the stages of school system participation in library networks was developed with the major activities for each stage identified. The model follows…

Describes the formation of an automated School and Public Information Network (SPIN) in Grosse Pointe (Michigan) among the public libraries and public school libraries for the purpose of resource sharing. Topics discussed include management issues, organizational perspectives, management by committee, the importance of cooperation and…

Argues that leadership and managerial skills should be developed in all librarians including children's librarians. The problems of developing managerial skills as a training function of the library organization are addressed and suggestions for an administrator planning such training are given. (EM)

Includes two articles that discuss time management and mail management strategies for librarians. Highlights include identifying personal work styles; planning and prioritizing; using calendars and computers; reexamining traffic patterns; delegating; and sorting and handling mail. (Contains eight references.) (LRW)

This monograph explores and develops the concept of nongraded schools and establishes a more precise definition for this concept. The first part of the monograph reveals the degrees to which nongrading has been bent and collapsed to accommodate grading, and interprets the values and data supporting the rationale presented for nongrading. The…

Discusses the need for professional development opportunities for school library media specialists and describes the development of a workshop in Georgia for new media specialists. Includes the roles and responsibilities of media specialists, including collaboration with teachers; and decision-making responsibilities. (LRW)

Identifies questions that should be asked, problems that may arise, and sources of information for library media specialists choosing hard disk computer systems. (CLB)

Discusses the importance of research to the school-library media specialist. Topics include levels of knowledge that help with informed decision-making; ways to overcome the gap between research and practice, including writing for scholarly journals; the need for publishing research from practitioners; and development of a research agenda for the…

Discussion of site-based management and school reform addresses the current focus on administrative change in educational reform, obstacles to change in schools, how site-based management works, and the school librarian's role. Several components that are needed to implement active site-based management programs are presented in a sidebar. (four…

At Thornwood High School in South Holland, Illinois, data processing now plays an important role in the development of audiovisual services. (Author)

Describes local area networks (LANs) and discusses advantages of their use in schools for students and teachers, including networking in labs, media centers, and classrooms. Roles of the network supervisor and/or technician are explained, including making decisions about the rights of users and instruction and assistance. (LRW)

The Birmingham school district, not unlike many other districts in the Metropolitan Detroit Area, has been experiencing a declining student enrollment. A committee was appointed to make a thorough study of the facilities and the future needs of the school district and make recommendations. The task was divided into two phases. The first phase was…

Presents criteria for making decisions about the use of videotapes in Continuous Quality Improvement training in academic media centers: use of case studies; clear objectives and concepts; race/gender sensitivity; balance of simplicity and complexity; clarity of sound and visibility; graphics quality; content relevance; humor; length; variety in…