Annie McQueen, librarian at David Starr Jordan Middle School in the Palo Alto Unified School District in California, is used to figuring out creative ways of getting what her media center needs, even though her budget is minuscule. McQueen gets additional support from the funds generated by the couple of book fairs she hosts each year. Plus, she…

This issue presents 42 articles that provide an overview of current reference services in all types of libraries in Illinois. Highlights include designing reference areas; policies and manuals; the reference interview; reference tools; automated databases; resource sharing; services to youth; services to special populations; and reference…

A study to determine which reference works are most widely held, the age breakdown of reference holdings, and the relationship between size of school and size of reference holdings in a sample of schools with centralized media programs in Illinois. (Author/LS)

Provides an analysis of selected research articles that address issues affecting school library media centers. Highlights include environmental psychology; circulation and collections; effects of automated circulation systems; female students' self-esteem and selection of women's biographies; instruction, information literacy skills, and…

This 25-article issue presents overview of reference services for childern and young adults, including public and school libraries, information needs, reference interviews, children's librarians, library instruction, library cooperation, production of information resources, material selection, and vertical files. References are included. (Haworth…

An annotated bibliography on school library media centers provides a list of over 150 monographs, articles, and audiovisual materials for primary and secondary school librarians. Aimed primarily at the Australian librarians, the bibliography is organized into six sections--administration, materials organization, selection, programs, standards, and…

A survey of the current practices in school library-media centers in the Southwest, Three Rivers, Pathfinder, and Arkansas Valley Regional Library Service Systems in Colorado was conducted in the fall of 1986. The survey covered reference materials; media selection; computer usage, including cataloging, online searching, and use of library…

This guide lists high quality instructional materials on all topics included in the elementary school curriculum for pre-school through sixth grade. It aims to describe a collection meeting as nearly as possible the standards recommended by the Standards for School Media Programs published by the American Library Association. A continuous analysis…

Presents a rationale for keeping the school library media center's vertical files. Discusses reasons related to: student accessibility, supplement to the school curricula, local topics, and limited financial resources. Outlines ten guidelines for maintaining a useful and current file collection. (AEF)

Urges librarians to weed their nonfiction collections, particularly in the areas of science and technology, geography, and political science, and argues that it is better to send students from the library empty handed than to supply them with obsolete books. Guidelines for evaluating and weeding the reference and circulating collections are…

Sample documents are provided to assist a school library media center in Oklahoma in preparing a policy handbook applicable to the library's particular situation. The operating policy defines the purpose of the library and the library media specialist, as well as the users, schedule, orientation and instruction practices, and circulation…

Describes instructional methods and resources used by school librarians in meeting responsibility to teach students steps of an information search, validity and kind of sources, why a particular book was used, and value of reference tools. Examples are given of reference tools and situations in which they might be used. (EJS)

Presents questions for evaluating a media center's reference section, focused on types of resources; reference-material evaluation criteria and items that belong in or are misplaced in the reference section; relocating materials and ensuring use of newly classified materials; and how to collect data on usage of resources. (AEF)

Selection and development aids emphasizing materials for children through sixth grade are examined and the main categories (evaluative, non-evaluative) and subsets (current or retrospective, specific or all subjects, format) are noted. Factors to be considered in examining selection tools are discussed: organization, information provided,…

This book focuses on the selection of books in an elementary school and on the resources designed to help in that process. Resources that support other aspects of collection development are identified, along with a number of established surveys of children's literature that discuss specific titles. The following chapters are included: (1)…