To enable learners to seize the opportunities they will face in the future, school librarians must hold a clear vision of where they want their learners to go. Indeed, the primary responsibility of school librarians is to develop whole-child-focused library programs that engage and empower learners with the durable skills, attitudes, and…

Twenty scholarly papers and fifteen abstracts comprise the content of the sixteenth annual Brick and Click Libraries Conference, held annually at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. The proceedings, authored by academic librarians and presented at the symposium, portray the contemporary and future face of librarianship. The…

This article is Part 3 of a three part summary of selected articles from the journals of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) over a period of thirty-five years from 1972 to 2007. This three-part series in the April, May, and June (2009) issues of "School Library Media Activities Monthly" ("SLMAM") illustrate the evolution in…

This is Part 2 of a three-part summary of selected articles from the journals of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) over a period of thirty-five years from 1972 to 2007. This three-part series in the April, May, and June (2009) issues of "School Library Media Activities Monthly" ("SLMAM") will illustrate the evolution in…

How are AASL's (American Association of School Librarians) new learning standards, the "Standards for the 21st-Century Learner," incorporated into the school library media program? This publication from AASL takes an in-depth look at the strands of the "Standards for the 21st-Century Learner" and the indicators within those strands. It also…

This article reports the results of the second phase of a three-phase study on the impact of the New York State's school libraries' services and resources on student achievement and motivation. A representative sample of more than 1,600 classroom teachers, students, and school library media specialists (SMLSs) from 47 schools throughout New York…

Welcome to the 21st century, where many students turn to Google as their main source of information. In fact, some kids wouldn't look anywhere else but the Internet. So what does that mean for nonfiction books? Five years ago, everybody warned that fresh, interactive digital content would eventually replace old-fashioned books. However, last…

The Student Library Aide Program provides real-world work experience to students in a safe learning environment. Students who are interested in working in the library complete an application form similar to a real job application listing their classroom teachers as references, telling why they want to work in the library, and any experience they…

Many teachers think too little about the role of the library media specialist in their professional lives, and because of this oversight they underutilize this great resource. This article explains the top ten reasons why teachers should work with their library media specialists: (1) Improving test scores and enhancing student academic…

The conditions and the rhetoric have changed; but in the age of the "instant librarian," the future still depends on the school media specialist's ability to focus on the user as an individual and provide an environment that promotes learning. (Author)

Summarizes responses of three university librarians to four questions concerning the preparation of college-bound students regarding library use; the skills students need; what approach they take to help students learn such skills; and the things that library media specialists and teachers can do to prepare college-bound students to use university…

The library skills design for elementary schools which is described utilizes specific objectives and a teacher/library media specialist contract to reach objectives. Steps described in this instructional approach include (1) the determination of themes; (2) the performance of skills/task analysis of themes to provide objectives; (3) interviews…

Discusses the concept of multidisciplinary study and ways that the media specialist can coordinate this approach. A brief history of library instruction is provided, and the New York State Regents Action Plan, an example of state involvement in ensuring the level of competence in library skills, is described. (23 references) (MES)

Participation in a workshop conducted for media library specialists developed team teaching projects to integrate library/media skills into the subject areas of their school curriculums. Six of the projects were selected for inclusion in this report. A dictionary skills game provides a fun way of learning for fifth graders while reinforcing…

This booklet is intended to help spread the word about the library and the librarian's role. It discusses the three interwoven roles of the school library media specialist--the role of information specialists (the "traditional" role); the role of library-media teachers in which they advance the goals of the school's literacy and general…