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…

In the author's early days of school librarianship, it did not take long for him to realize that this was not the time to first think of how to involve parents in support of his selections for the library. A lot of good advice exists that suggests ways for parents to be involved that will help support intellectual freedom, as well as lessons…

During this time of economic crisis and the projected budget cuts in education, it is more important than ever to justify one's position as a critical element in the school. One excellent way to document the need for a full-time, certified media specialist in the school is through a portfolio. Maintaining a portfolio is cheap and fairly easy,…

The controversy involving the challenge and possible banning of books has existed since the first person set pen to paper. These challenges have historically been based upon political and religious differences, but as time has passed, have become increasingly more to do with sex, race and culture. With these issues facing libraries, the role of…

In this article, the author discusses the most important thing she thinks school libraries should work toward. It is important for a school librarian to know and understand the mission of the school. It is also important to formulate a mission for the school library program. School librarians must think about and reflect on their own beliefs. What…

The first Japanese "curriculum standards" for educational media/ICT in-service teacher training was announced by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture in April 1973. Since then, the "curriculum standards" has been revised twice. The last revision was made in March 2006, based on the results of a preliminary study that…

The United States no longer has a workforce dependent on operating machinery and performing repetitive tasks. Educators are therefore challenged to change the way students learn and to provide a workforce that is innovative and that has the ability to design new jobs. To do this, students must learn to be problem solvers, to create products that…

Being committed to continuous improvement means having the will to engage in a journey. The journey's path may be long and unpredictable, but most believe the path is well worth navigating if improvement is the end result. Sometimes the most poignant and successful improvement endeavors begin when people examine themselves from within. When they…

Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) is a comprehensive plan sponsored by thirty-one organizations and businesses. Involved are organizations such as Apple, Microsoft, Dell, and Verizon, to name a few, and such organizations as the National Education Association, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the American…

Preservice school library media specialists will implement the AASL Standards for the "21st Century Learner" in their new roles. Drafted in 2007, the Standards reflect principles which school library media specialist must impart to learners to prepare them to be knowledge consumers, producers, and communicators in global environments.…

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…

This article discusses the ongoing effort in the Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA). Library media specialists who are members of the MSLA have utilized key components to successfully advocate for library media centers in the state of Massachusetts. These key components have resulted in their acquiring seats at important decision…

A Newbery award sets the standard for aspiring children's book writers, provides talented authors with a steady stream of income, and enables editors to pursue their own publishing visions. Over the years, Newbery medalists have often been the first choice of parents and educators in search of trustworthy titles. However, a lot of people are…

Few subjects spark more disagreement and confusion than copyright. The authors of the 2007 report "The Cost of Copyright Confusion for Media Literacy" coined the term "hyper-comply" to describe how many information professionals respond to copyright. According to the study by American University's Center for Social Media, educators often…

This review focused on the written and visual representation of the moon in 80 children's books, including Caldecott Medal and Honor books over the past 20 years. Results revealed that many of these books misrepresent the moon and even reinforce misconceptions about lunar phases. Teachers who use children's literature that misrepresents the moon…