Whether a school library program is the picture of good health in a state that mandates a professionally staffed library media center in every building or is suffering in a low-wealth district that is facing drastic cuts, the recently launched toolkits by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) are stocked with useful strategies and…

The new "Standards for the 21st-Century Learner IN ACTION", presented like a colorful flowchart, was previewed without fanfare at the annual Midwinter meeting of the American Library Association in Denver, Colorado, in January (American Library Association 2009). This new publication does a good job in further defining the student…

Political advocacy continues to gain ground in the state of Washington after the landmark Washington state legislative support of emergency funding ($4.09 million) for library media centers during the 2008 legislative session. This stepped-up political advocacy is due to the efforts of the Washington Library Media Association Advocacy members…

This article discusses the ongoing effort in the Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA). Library media specialists who are members of the MSLA have utilized key components to successfully advocate for library media centers in the state of Massachusetts. These key components have resulted in their acquiring seats at important decision…

Members of the school library media profession are fortunate to have new direction from two organizations that seek to define the type of educational experiences that will best benefit students as they prepare to continue to learn, live, and work in the 21st century. Both organizations, American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the…

This is Part 2 of a three-part summary of selected articles from the journals of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) over a period of thirty-five years from 1972 to 2007. This three-part series in the April, May, and June (2009) issues of "School Library Media Activities Monthly" ("SLMAM") will illustrate the evolution in…

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) have both recently launched new standards. These are known as the "AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner" and "The National Educational Technology Standards for Students: The Next Generation" (NETS). The standards from each…

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL)/Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)/Young Adult Library Service Association (YALSA) Joint Task Force on School/Public Library Cooperative Activities has been collecting and disseminating information about cooperative activities around the country since the first meeting in January…

Discusses several topics of interest to school media specialists: (1) writing for publication about projects and ideas; (2) activities of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL); (3) an AASL position statement on flexible scheduling; and (4) some suggested resources. (MES)

Collaboration by several school and library associations has resulted in a decision to adopt new job titles, job descriptions, and facility names. Reasons for this change are discussed and some insight into the process is provided by commentary from interviews. (JKP)

Considers whether the role of the school library media specialist is that of teacher or administrator and discusses how media specialists can be proactive leaders. Topics include collaborating with teachers, serving on committees, communicating with the principal, attending professional conferences, volunteering in professional organizations, and…

Discusses problems confronting school library media centers, including a lack of telephones for computer network access, a lack of professional personnel, and a lack of flexible scheduling. It is suggested that leadership roles, as well as membership in local and national organizations, are necessary to address these issues. (LRW)