Through an examination of U.S. circuit, district, and Supreme Court school library censorship cases from 1972 to 1982 an attempt is made to discover whether school officials' actions and court officials' decisions show a reverence for the spirit of First Amendment freedom of expression guarantees. (MBR)

Describes Cataloging in Publication (CIP), a cooperative program begun in 1971, whose partners are the Library of Congress (LC) and approximately 2,000 U.S. publishers. Why publishers participate and use of program by school libraries are discussed. Questionnaire for school librarians concerning provision of CIP cataloging for microcomputer…

Briefly discusses the appeal of poetry for children and describes some of the ways in which school librarians can develop a poetry collection and enhance students' interest in poetry. Also included is an annotated list of the best poetry collections for students from the 1981 publishing year. (JL)

Identifies four common variables in picture preferences of elementary school-aged children: (1) relationship between text and picture; (2) degree of realism; (3) use of color; and (4) amount of complexity. Selection of picture books based on these preferences is discussed, and criteria to help develop standards for selection are suggested. (12…

Reports findings of a 1988 study on intellectual freedom in media centers in Wisconsin. General status information and factors influencing challenge outcomes are discussed. Data on materials selection policy, media specialist characteristics, complaints, and roles of those involved in challenges are presented. The appendix describes the…

Describes a study which examined reviewers' treatment of controversial juvenile books in Booklist, Bulletin of Center for Children's Books, Horn Book, and School Library Journal. The total number of controversial books reviewed by each journal, promptness of reviews, and extent of discussion of controversial features are discussed. (MBR)

Examines criteria for software selection and the use of software packages (programs, routines, documentation) in school library management. General criteria, specific criteria for selecting library management programs (for tasks such as circulation, cataloging, recordkeeping), specific criteria for selecting educational programs, and reviewing…

The plaintiff in Pico v. Island Trees, a 1982 landmark Supreme Court case that declared local public school boards cannot ban books merely because they dislike the ideas expressed in them, describes that censorship battle. The major components of the court decision are discussed, and strategies for combatting censorship in school libraries are…

Discusses the results of a national survey of elementary school library media specialists that was conducted to examine services offered to prekindergarten children. Topics addressed include media specialists' qualifications; age-appropriate materials in the collection; collection size; selection tools; circulation policies; and communication…

The first part of a two-part review of research related to school library media collections summarizes studies with implications for budgets and collection size, the selection process, collection policies, and the librarian as censor. A table compares data on holdings and expenditures for schools providing high-level library service with national…

This article reviews studies of school library media collections which address issues related to collection evaluation, networking, collection mapping, student preferences, and special collections. A summary of practical implications of the research findings and a proposed research agenda are appended. (35 references) (SD)

Describes factors in the current information searching environment that will affect collection emphasis, collector approaches, and user behaviors. Questions are raised about developing collections in an electronic era in terms of collection size, ownership considerations, content and selection practices, budgeting, and collection management.…

Discussion of literature-based reading programs focuses on a study that investigated the elementary school library media specialist's roles as information specialist, teacher, and instructional consultant during the implementation of a literature-based reading program. Recommendations are offered regarding parents' roles, material selection, and…