Discusses the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the role of the school library media specialist in keeping the school district informed about the new federal education legislation and funding opportunities. Suggests seven steps to become familiar with the law; describes the ten titles within the law; and lists additional resources. (LRW)

Presents the following tips for getting the school media center off to a good start in the fall: refocus to-do lists; be ready for business; provide advance scheduling; deal with perceptions; conduct new staff orientation; focus on teachers of new students; and provide ongoing staff development. (AEF)

Discusses the National Board Certification for the Early Childhood through Young Adulthood/Library Media certificate, under development by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Explains the library media standards overview, including knowledge, activities, and professional growth; portfolio requirements; required assessment…

The Internet's unique scope, characteristics and potential make it a vehicle for media specialists to model good use of information technology and provide far-reaching instructional leadership in schools. This article focuses on approaches to Web site selection, supervision, and staff development for effective use of the Internet in schools. (AEF)

Discusses standards created by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) for library media programs that improve student achievement. Highlights include Information Power, 1998 edition; how to use standards; curriculum content standards; the influence and use of…

Describes seven "habits" for effective school library media specialists: (1) Be proactive; (2) Begin with the end in mind; (3) Put first things first; (4) Think win/win; (5) Seek first to understand, then to be understood; (6) Synergize (get students, teachers, administrators, community members to work cooperatively); and (7) Sharpen the saw (take…

Explains how school library media specialists can write grants to help fund library projects. Highlights include having specific needs and specific programs in mind; catchy names; brief summaries; statement of need and specific objectives; methodology; planned evaluation; budget information; timeliness; and a list of Web sites for grant sources.…

Describes ICONnect, an online project developed through the American Association of School Librarians to help school librarians, teachers, students, and parents use the Internet effectively. Services of ICONnect are explained and new roles for librarians are discussed. (LRW)

Discusses Internet plagiarism and includes an outline for a presentation that library media specialists can use with teachers. Highlights include an overview of the problem; helping teachers recognize the signs; pinpointing the source, including the use of search engines and Web sites; and prevention, including more control over the research…

Discusses 10 challenges media specialists must overcome to effectively use technology in education. Highlights include people opposed to technology; teacher training to help develop collaborative relationships; establishing and using a comprehensive technology plan; assuming more professional responsibility; and empowerment. (LRW)

Describes the experiences of a school library media specialist on the school board. Topics include how to make presentations to the school board; how media centers can request extra funding; and the importance of good communication with the community and with the other board members. (LRW)

Discusses ways that school media specialists can save time to make the transition from traditional tasks to newer responsibilities necessitated by changes in education. Highlights include placing orders; record keeping, particularly clerical tasks that could be handled electronically or by other people; cataloging; parent volunteers; and working…

Examines the role of the online catalog in school libraries. Addresses the evolution of the online catalog, discussing connectivity, integration of technical and public services, networked hardware and software, user interface, and searching the catalog. Discusses the dual role of the library media specialist, of managing the catalog and offering…

Discussion of automation and school library media specialists focuses on library Web sites. Highlights include characteristics of library Web sites; examples of high school, middle school, and elementary school library Web sites; an evaluation methodology; and a list of useful online library research sites. (LRW)

Presents a framework to help media specialists and other educators facilitate the process of integrating computer technology and the Internet into classroom instruction and curriculum design. Highlights include planning, including concept maps; research, including critical thinking; development, including knowledge construction and higher-order…