Commonly spearheaded by librarians, Kindle pilot programs are springing up in schools around the country, bringing ereaders to K-12 students, who are cracking the spine, so to speak, on these alternative learning tools. From full adoption of the devices at Clearwater High School in Florida to tentative beta projects, educators are exploring how…

In this article, the author talks about the Florida Power-Library School (FPLS) program. She describes the why, who, what and how of the Florida Power-Library School initiative, as well as the favorable results for schools. Schools successfully completing this process see relationships among staff and community members strengthened. Library media…

The Project LEAD program at the Florida State University (FSU) College of Information is designed to produce future school library media leaders. One requirement of the program is that the students join AASL and their state association, and attend their conferences. In 2007 a contingent of thirteen students from FSU, along with their mentor,…

School impact media studies indicate that a well-staffed and funded school library media program with a certified school library media specialist (SLMS) positively correlates with increased student achievement. SLMS must have a shared understanding of their roles and responsibilities to positively impact student success. In an effort to determine…

These days it seems like school librarians are under attack, if not already an endangered species. After eight years of the No Child Left Behind Act--which, paradoxically, chipped away at many library positions--recent state and local budget shortfalls have led to rounds and rounds of layoffs for school librarians. While things are tough in the…

In the past decade information literacy has received increasing emphasis in K-12 and postsecondary education, yet the information literacy skill levels of high school and college graduates continue to vary considerably. This report compares findings across a subset of data collected in three independent research studies focusing on students'…

A study of centralized school media processing centers in Indiana and Florida indicated that a coordinated national effort, such as the Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication project, could eliminate the repetitive and costly operation of such centers. (Author/PF)

A stratified random sample of educators from the 1,827 schools in Florida with one or more full-time media specialists was surveyed in order to determine which of the 62 competencies for media specialists proposed by the Florida Department of Education Council on Teacher Education were considered essential. Respondents were sent an initial…

This article identifies problems with current practice in evaluating employee performance and presents currently accepted performance appraisal methods (behaviorally anchored rating scales, management by objectives). A research project designed to improve appraisals for school media specialists which was field-tested in four Florida school…

An investigation was made to determine the instructional function of the professional media staff in a school. The objectives of the study were: (1) to develop a model to add the expertise of the media specialist to the teaching team; (2) to access the effect the model had on the academic achievement and self-concept of students; and (3) to…

The institute, "Innovations in School Librarianship," was conducted by The Florida State University in cooperation with the Florida Department of Education. Participants in the workshop were persons employed as school district level media personnel in Florida public school systems. The purpose was to increase their competence in…

The statewide plan for the continuing education of Florida library and media personnel described in this document is intended to increase the ability of those personnel to provide timely, accurate information and efficient library service to Florida citizens. The goals of the plan and its proposed activities are outlined, including the linking of…

The "Educational Media and Technology Yearbook" is dedicated to theoretical, empirical and practical approaches to educational media development. All chapters are invited and selected based on a variety of strategies to determine current trends and issues in the field. The 2009 edition will highlight innovative Trends and Issues in…

Celebration, Florida, is a planned community (8,000 households) newly developed by Disney Corporation. Its K-12 inclusive school, in partnership with Stetson University, implements learner-centered features such as multiage classrooms, multiple intelligences, and multidimensional assessment with students managing their own electronic portfolios.…