This study was designed to update the existing research and to examine the relationship between library media programs and student achievement. The schools selected for the study sample were not selected on a random basis; rather, they were library media centers (LMCs) that responded to a 1989 survey of Colorado LMCs. The study relied entirely…

This two-page digest briefly outlines some of the technological trends in updating a library, and briefly discusses the administrative issues and strategies involved. It begins by describing the wholly integrated information environment, which would include: (1) public-access personal and professional communications networks; (2) information…

Based on a content analysis of professional journals, conference proceedings, ERIC documents, annuals, and dissertations in library and information science, the following current trends in the field are discussed: (1) there are important emerging roles and responsibilities for information professionals; (2) the status and image of librarians…

This digest discusses ways in which public libraries deal with latchkey children who spend their after-school hours at public libraries while their parents are at work. Research conducted in 1990 of 110 public libraries revealed that almost all libraries encountered unattended children after school hours, and that most libraries surveyed were not…

Brittle paper, cheap bindings, mistreatment, and poor storage conditions are threatening to destroy thousands of scholarly documents throughout the United States unless preservation activities are successfully incorporated into all levels of library operations. In order for the preservation and access to information movement to succeed, there must…

It has been observed that one historical role of the public library is serving the nation's youth. Current economic and social conditions have created the phenomenon of the "latchkey child"--the school-aged child who has no parent or guardian at home after school hours and has no alternative care arrangement. In light of this, this…

This digest argues that free, public libraries foster and fortify democracy and democratic citizenship. Because libraries offer services and materials representing many points of view, they allow citizens to fulfill their civic and personal responsibilities and to exercise their liberties. Particularly for former communist countries, libraries can…

Arguing that the foundation of a free civilization is an informed citizenry, this ERIC digest discusses the new challenges faced by the government and libraries in the wake of the Information Age. As electronic technology has accelerated the production and transmission of information, it has become more difficult for the average citizen to access,…

By mid 2001, researchers affiliated with the Library Research Service of the Colorado State Library and the University of Denver had completed four statewide studies on the impact of school library media programs on the achievement of U.S. public school students: Information Empowered: The School Librarian as an Agent of Academic Achievement in…

Noting that one of the three major themes for the 1991 White House Conference on Library and Information Services is the role of the library in literacy education, this digest begins by describing how national awareness of the problem has led to legislation, both at the state and federal level, to fund new literacy programs and expand existing…

This digest examines changes that are involved in an elementary school library media program when the school's instructional methods move from a basic skills to a whole language approach. These changes are discussed in terms of three curricular foci--theme studies, process writing, and literature-based reading--and new demands that are placed on…

Public libraries have a responsibility toward all of their patrons, including home schoolers. "Home schooling" describes the situation where parents or guardians choose not to send their children to public or private schools, but instead educate their children themselves. Libraries are very important to home schoolers because, in most…

Two recent studies clarify the growing importance of tribal college libraries in the overall tribal effort to educate Indian people. Cheryl Duran (1991) applied Flamholtz's organizational development model to the role of libraries in the development of tribal colleges. During the new venture, expansion, professional, and consolidation stages,…

This digest highlights the findings of an extensive review and analysis of the literature related to the role of libraries in education. The review was undertaken to demonstrate the critical role libraries can play in meeting the six National Education Goals adopted in 1990 by the President and the governors of the United States. The goals, which…

This digest summarizes the history of public libraries and library literacy programs; describes current delivery models; and discusses initiatives in library literacy, profiling one successful public library program that serves adult English language learners and their families. (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education) (Author/VWL)