In this article, the author describes her new approach to collection development. To fulfill her dream of each kid walking out of the library with the book they asked for, she enlisted the help of her students. Once they realized that their suggestions were taken seriously, the more they were willing to take the time to tell her about the great…

In this article, the author discusses how to transform a down-on-its-luck library into an irresistible place for boys. She suggests to begin with vision, energy, and a lot of hard work. Based on the author's 30-plus years of experience working with students, she knows boys respond well to a scholarly environment. In fact, it is one of the ways…

Each weekday when school let out, the Queens Library at Far Rockaway--a branch of the Queens Library in New York City--would fill with nearly 100 teens. Drawn by the public-use computers, many others, who had dropped out of school, would also crowd in. To invoke a cliche, the situation was both an opportunity and a challenge. The popularity of the…

Young adults have an insatiable thirst for blood, violence, and the supernatural. They love to be scared, and if something grosses them out, so much the better. That is why horror stories--tales that spark powerful feelings of dread, aversion, guilt, anger, and other deliciously dark emotions--are such a hit at libraries. In this article, the…

There's no doubt about it: magazines can be a nuisance. They're easy to rip off, flimsy, and costly. The dogeared, thumb-smudged pages, missing subscription cards, and already-solved crossword puzzles and mazes (completed confidently in ink!) are sure signs that kids find magazines irresistible. Young children and teens love to flip casually…

The Lincoln Center Library offers a variety of services, including circulating collections, art galleries, a bookstore, free movies, a children's room, special exhibits, and a small, neat auditorium that features everything from community drama to film retrospectives. (Author/NH)

This bibliographic essay cites fiction titles for adolescents in grades seven through 12 on a wide range of subjects and reading levels. Suggestions for preparing booktalks to promote current books, introductions and summaries to be used for particular titles, and the effectiveness of booktalks are highlighted. (EJS)

An American librarian describes her experiences running a children's library in a rural town in the Philippines. Discussion includes frustrations and rewards; the children's favorite books; storytimes and games; community efforts; and her goals to leave the library a better organized, more inviting place and to teach the children how a library…

It is the recent emphasis on testing that has brought life to this issue once again and has spawned the "New Boys Movement," which focuses on helping boys achieve in reading and writing, Researchers have been studying what makes boys tick. What they've learned is that boys take longer to learn to read than girls; they read less than girls and are…

Its director describes a successful public library program for lending toys and games. (PF)

It's 10 a.m. in Aurora, Colorado, just outside of Denver, and the Grandview High School library is bursting with life. Its two classrooms, each equipped with state-of-the-art technology, are overflowing with kids. In one, Patricia Holloway, the library coordinator, is introducing a group of entering freshman to the library. In the other, media…

Media specialists and teachers spend an estimated $1.4 billion annually on nonfiction titles. And even though most librarians, like Shirley Morand of New Richmond High School in Ohio, expect budget cuts this academic year, they still plan to dish out a sizable chunk of money on books that support students' textbooks, according to School Library…

Presents recommendations for developing sound baby collections that include selecting books that: have designs infants are attracted to, provide tactile experiences, incorporate rhymes, have rounded edges (board books), and can be cleaned (cloth books). Includes an alphabetical list of good books for babies, as well as books on planning a lapsit…

Offers definitions, statistics, and suggestions for public librarians working with homeschoolers. Library concerns are addressed, including censorship, negative staff attitudes, technology demands, and administrative limits; and ways to make homeschoolers more welcome are suggested, including compiling homeschooling resource materials, library…

Designed for use by public and school librarians as a starting point in developing educational programs, this annotated list of resources on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) includes pamphlets, films and video, fiction and non-fiction books, posters, organizations, and hotlines. The importance of AIDS education programs is emphasized.…