In this article, the author describes her efforts to collect perspectives about the topic of most appropriate job title for school library administrators. The author presents the results of a pilot study (with 31 respondents) and a national study (with 213 respondents) conducted to answer two research questions: (1) "What do future school…

This article presents K-12 motivational strategies that focus on different ideas school library media specialists can use to gain and sustain attention in the research topic. Some have come from recent submissions to the S.O.S. database of lesson plans and teaching ideas. A student-directed searching activity for college level library instruction…

Motivational processes are the foundation for coordinating cognitive goals and strategies in reading. Becoming an excellent, active reader involves attunement of motivational processes with cognitive and language processes in reading. This article presents K-12 strategies for motivating reading success. It describes 10 instructional elements that…

This article takes a retrospective look at a Center for Digital Literacy (CDL) program called E*LIT which stands for "Enriching Literacy through Information Technology." E*LIT was created by CDL director, Dr. Ruth V. Small. Every year for the past six years, the E*LIT Competition has inspired students in and around Central New York to…

Teaching in urban school settings is an experience filled with challenges and rewards. For library media specialists serving in urban schools, additional roles of information specialist and instructional partner (AASL/AECT, 1998) increase those challenges. In this article, the authors describe factors that differentiate work in urban schools and…

There is much buzz about the new American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Standards, and while many library media specialists are just trying to get their minds around the innovative Skills format and accompanying Dispositions, Responsibilities and Self-Assessment Strategies, the author takes a moment to direct one's attention to the use…

In this paper, the author shares K-12 strategies for community outreach and describes what school library media specialists can do to expand resources and services beyond their student community. The author first suggests to use Book Fair and other school activities like Open House and Curriculum Night to promote one's library and recruit human…

This article features two library media specialists who discovered a way to motivate high school students to read. When most people go to the movies, the "coming attractions" or movie trailers are as anticipated as the popcorn! This Americana movie tradition hooks people again and again on what they will come back to see next. So, it's no surprise…

Library media specialists hear about Web 2.0 in numerous professional journals and during conference workshops. They know that using this aspect of the Internet is second nature to many of their students, and therefore they feel a need to become knowledgeable about this means of information sharing. What better way to learn about blogs, wikis, or…

Kids ask the darndest questions. And sometimes they ask them in the darndest places, including online information systems that were not designed to answer them. There is a reason for this continuing phenomenon, and an important lesson in it for school library media specialists and other educators. To understand the phenomenon at hand, imagine an…

Over the past decade, educators have stressed the importance of creating exciting and intellectually stimulating environments where students are actively involved in constructing their own understandings. Whether it's designing a WebQuest to spark curiosity in science or establishing an oral history project to spur interest in local history,…

This is a collaborative column by K-12 library media specialists and academic librarians who write about the motivational strategies that have worked for them in teaching IL skills. Students who do not raise their hand to answer a question and are reluctant to learn something new often suffer from something called "fear of failure." They…

Big, comprehensive projects involving multiple teachers, components, and electronic media can daunt the most ambitious educator. But for Library Media Specialist Bonnie French, big projects are no problem! A pioneer SOS database contributor, Bonnie can be aptly dubbed the "queen of collaboration." In this article, the author discusses how Bonnie…

Better understanding the attitude and behaviors of students using the Internet for school work can provide valuable insight for today's school librarian. The Pew Internet & American Life Project conducted a qualitative study of Internet-using public middle and high school students drawn from across the country ranging from 12 to 17 years of age.…

The "College Connection" is a new column providing space for discussion of issues and activities involving information literacy instruction at the higher education level. The column will explore ways in which library media specialists and academic librarians can help students make smooth transitions from high school to college through development…