Students look to their school library to find new books, seek information, creatively solve problems, and use technology. School libraries play an essential role in students' academic growth and development of lifelong learning skills. All of the wonderful resources and services that school libraries provide are easily accessible to the population…

Current national and international research indicates the summer break can negatively affect students' reading achievement. To counter this effect, our primary school with a range of students worked in collaboration with our local public library to plan and implement a summer reading programme. The purpose of the programme was to increase…

It's not always easy to get teens talking. But when the author became a young adult specialist at the Wilbraham (Massachusetts) Public Library four years ago, that's exactly what she had to do. Her main mission was to bring in as many high schoolers as possible. She needed to find out exactly what they wanted from the library. when she asked them…

Illiteracy is a huge problem, socially, economically and educationally. This study of the history and current practices of American public libraries examines their role in supporting the development of human literate abilities and in helping all Americans to be critically literate in order to participate fully and successfully in our society. This…

Based on the findings of a recent three-year study by Dominican University's Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, the authors can confirm what many librarians have long suspected: students who take part in their local library's summer reading program significantly improve their reading skills. This article describes the results of…

"Urban Teens in the Library" is the perfect solution for the concerns and uncertainty many librarians face when supporting this group of patrons and students. From a team of experts who have researched the information habits and preferences of urban teens to build better and more effective school and public library programs, this book will show…

Issues 256 through 265 of "Fast Facts" from the Library Research Service present data collected from libraries in Colorado and throughout the nation. Topics addressed in these "Fast Facts" from 2008 include computer usage by public library patrons, Colorado summer reading programs, children's' use of public libraries, and the…

There is abundant evidence that schools with strong reading programs have successful students. But building strong reading skills is a complex task, particularly by the time students reach the middle grades. A survey was conducted that involved all Indiana middle grades schools in May 2009. Two types of data analysis were utilized in preparing the…

A collection of three articles presents three programs public librarians have created and implemented to engage the vitality and enthusiasm of young people together with library resources: (1) a summer reading club and "archeological dig"; (2) a young adult mystery festival; and (3) young adults socializing with seniors. (Author/JMV)

Over the four years the student is in high school the most logical person to impart to hime a love of reading, as a lifelong, never failing source of ideas and inspiration, is the school librarian. This is his ladder to the sky. (NH)

Chicago's library and police partnership have created interactive programs for city youth. This article describes the partnership's Get Hooked on Fishing, Not Drugs program, Mystery Beat Book Club, Ghosts in the Graveyard and other art programs and discusses benefits for the children and participating organizations. (PEN)

Describes the racially segregated public library children's collections and services in Louisville, Kentucky and Nashville, Tennessee. Discusses the relationship between African American librarians and users based on original library records, annual reports, and librarians' writings; describes and evaluates the collections developed for black…

In common with many other people, librarians have been too prompt to assume that availability of books and materials will necessarily lead to their utilization. What has happened in all too many American communities is that libraries are intensively used by only a small portion of the population, while the vast majority are untouched by the…

This manual is designed to help youth services specialists in libraries in Texas customize their Reading Club efforts for their communities. A successful reading club requires careful thought, extensive planning, and willing and eager participants. Attracting and engaging these participants is of primary importance, as is the reason for the…

The main insight given by this study of summer reading lists is that what students are assigned to read has more to do with individual teachers' beliefs and knowledge than any concrete practice. Teachers who make summer readings lists seem to be divided somewhat equally between focus on cultural literacy and desire to create lifelong learners.…