According to the author, we are all creators and consumers of media. Technology has made it easy to copy, paste, and transfer anything educators might want to use in their classrooms. As educators, school librarians have an obligation to honor the law and be the role models that learners and other staff members need them to be. So many times the…

The high-quality instruction offered in the school library and in collaboration with classroom teachers helps students understand and practice the content standards. School librarians should begin by collaborating within their school building and then thoughtfully expand those connections to neighboring schools, community organizations, and state…

In many locales--in many states--early conceptions of the school librarian's job have not evolved over the years even as the duties have expanded exponentially. The fact that in some districts outdated evaluation tools, such as Georgia's 1990 system, are still used to rate 21st-century school librarians is an obvious sign of the misconceptions…

During this period of radical change in the field of information technology there is evidence of confusion about the role of school library media specialists in the implementation, and the administration of emerging information technologies in Wisconsin public schools. This study sought to answer the question what is the role of the school library…

School library media specialists have seen more fundamental changes in their jobs and in their roles within their schools than any other group of education professionals. The author started her first job as a school librarian when there were no desktop computers, and card catalogs were the order of the day. Over the course of the thirty-seven…

Hundreds of people work to bring each issue of "Library Media Connection" to readers filled with current articles on the always changing work and role of the school library media specialist. A majority of that group are the reviewers. As reviewers for "Library Media Connection" they work as volunteers. So what keeps them performing this task month…

It's not easy being a media specialist, especially if one is new to the profession or one has switched schools and is suddenly the "new kid on the block." This article offers 10 road-tested tips that will help every new media specialist not only survive, but also "thrive": (1) Learn the curriculum; (2) Document! Document! Document! (3) Smile and…

"Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs (American Association of School Librarians, 2009) continues to support the four original roles of the school librarian identified in "Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning" (American Association of School Librarians/Association for Educational Communication and…

School librarians need to be proactive in identifying new ways to help students prepare for the world of the future. Students need relevant educational experiences that support emerging demands created by information and service based economies. The economies of Pacific Rim countries such as the USA, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Canada are…

Developing lifelong readers is integral to the role of the librarian. Facilitating, encouraging, and promoting reading is not an add-on to the job. Consider the role librarians play in developing readers in school. They know they are contributors; they must make sure the school community is aware of their valuable role in supporting the five…

Twenty scholarly papers and fifteen abstracts comprise the content of the sixteenth annual Brick and Click Libraries Conference, held annually at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. The proceedings, authored by academic librarians and presented at the symposium, portray the contemporary and future face of librarianship. The…

Research studies reveal that many administrators, classroom teachers, students, and parents have misconceptions about the role of library media specialists (LMSs) and how they impact student learning. Conversely, there is a growing body of evidence that demonstrates a strong correlation between quality school library media programs staffed by…

The controversy involving the challenge and possible banning of books has existed since the first person set pen to paper. These challenges have historically been based upon political and religious differences, but as time has passed, have become increasingly more to do with sex, race and culture. With these issues facing libraries, the role of…

Media centers have been transformed from warehouses for books and equipment into the hub of the learning community. Media specialists keep the hub functioning properly. If school library media specialists are doing their job well, they are making a difference in the ways teachers teach and in the ways students learn. On any given day, a media…

In this article, the author discusses how a librarian of a school can be a source of support for first year teachers. Not only can the library media specialist provide the new teacher with a variety of resources, but also with a unique perspective. Just as the administrative assistant and financial director help the new teacher understand the…