To help school librarians develop learners' abilities to contribute to teams that can capitalize on a diversity of thinking and perspective, AASL tasked a 2024 ALA Emerging Leaders team with creating a guide for school librarians based on the Collaborate Shared Foundation in the "National School Library Standards." Working effectively in…

For school librarians, technology is an essential component of their work. To meet the growing need in this area, Odin Jurkowski first wrote Technology and the School Library in 2006. To address the technological advancements, Jurkowski provides an overview of the types of technologies used in school libraries, from traditional low-tech options to…

The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning (National AEM Center) at CAST is a technical assistance (TA) center funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The purpose of the Center is to improve educational and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities through…

Three years ago, the author was a newly minted library media specialist, a bit green, but excited, enthusiastic, and ready to educate her middle school students. Once she learned that four out of the twenty-five sixth grade classes she was required to teach were bilingual "Dual Language Classes," the author was determined to use her background in…

This handbook describing collective bargaining as it relates to media/library professionals in public school systems provides an overview of the collective bargaining process, as well as discussions of the various phases: (1) strategies and preparation for collective bargaining, (2) negotiating the collective bargaining agreement, (3) a…

Discusses responsibilities of media specialists and librarians regarding knowledge of copyright developments; copyright owners' rights; Fair Use, which provides educators with limited rights to reproduce copyrighted works; congressional guidelines established to guide Fair Use application; and off-air recording limitations, a particularly…

As pressure increases to integrate technology into instruction, many teachers and library media specialists are having difficulty coping with "technostress." Presents suggestions and activities for teachers and library media specialists designed to reduce "technostress." (PEN)

Discusses the importance of professional development for library media specialists and presents suggestions for staying current in the field, including participation in conferences, taking advantage of continuing-education opportunities, reading professional journals, and using Internet resources. (MES)

Guidelines for continuing education for information, library, and media personnel are presented in this report, which provides criteria for five different kinds of continuing education strategies: (1) group programs and activities; (2) individualized programs and activities; (3) instructional materials and technologies; (4) continuing education…

Good professional library services in elementary and secondary schools are interelated with academic excellence. Discusses research showing the relationship between the two and stresses the need to not cut library services when school budget cuts must be made. (MD)

School library media specialists recommend quality Web sites to children based on evaluations and Web awards. This article examines three types of Web awards and who grants them, suggests ways to determine their reliability, and discusses specific award sites. Includes a bibliography of Web sites. (PEN)

This booklet is intended to help spread the word about the library and the librarian's role. It discusses the three interwoven roles of the school library media specialist--the role of information specialists (the "traditional" role); the role of library-media teachers in which they advance the goals of the school's literacy and general…

In this new, expanded edition step-by-step guidelines are provided for customizing a staff development program that is both proactive and goal-oriented. Drawing on the advice of 37 top experts with a variety of skill sets, this book presents information on how to assess a library's needs and set training goals, budget appropriately, develop a set…

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)

Discusses information literacy, independent learning, and social responsibility standards developed by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), focusing on independent learning: general techniques and methods for encouraging independent learning, independent reading,…