All librarians, even those working one job, can become victims of burnout. Burnout can occur throughout the course of any career, and can pose a serious threat. On a daily basis, librarians help patrons fight their way through a haze of misinformation and disinformation. A good librarian is always on the ready, shifting gears from MLA source…

Years ago, working in isolation meant that to develop professionally, librarians had to read journals and wait for the two times per year there were librarian conferences locally, statewide, or nationally that would help them improve their program. Now colleagues, suggestions, and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are merely a click away.…

To address the varying needs of media specialists, area Educational Technology Training Centers, Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESA), and larger school systems are forming professional development communities or consortia that cater specifically to the continuing education needs of library media specialists. In addition to academic and…

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,…

Imagine a school where every student has global wireless access and a visa to high tech, personalized instruction. Enter Baxter Springs, Kansas, where all the teachers and their students have individual laptops in a 24/7 environment. Such 1-to-1 initiatives actually meet the expectations of the digital generation and these students aren't forced…

There is a curriculum ready, willing, and able to remedy the US' significant information literacy deficiency. So why doesn't anyone know about information literacy standards? In a recent editorial column by Carol Simpson, she offers three suggestions: (1) library media specialists are not doing a good job spreading the word; (2) The standards are…

Recently, many new and veteran authors have begun creating modern vampires that are seducing readers with their tales of mystery, suspense, and hunger. Their audiences span most age groups, but teens especially seem to be drawn to these books. As such, librarians must develop a better understanding of which vampire stories really stand out. In…

It has been the author's good fortune to have had the experience of working with amazing clerks, secretaries, and media paraprofessionals throughout his career. In his experience, students rarely differentiate between the library professional and paraprofessional. The most accurate description of how most paraprofessionals are treated is "benign…

As librarians work to prepare themselves and their colleagues to function in the rapidly growing world of information they often find themselves feeling alone and overwhelmed. One group of Ohio school librarians took on the daunting challenge of keeping up with the continually changing world of information technology and together developed an…

Principals should change their traditional evaluating methods while evaluating the library media specialists who also have to serve as a teacher or assume other additional responsibilities and adopt evaluation methods similar to those used for teachers. The "prep" period librarians provide a way to continue the method of instructing students in…

In March 2003, a total of 394 media specialists throughout the state of Kentucky completed an online survey regarding the professional development needs. The public relations subcommittee of the Kentucky School Media Association Board of directors generated the questions and collected data from the three parts of the survey-demographics,…

Discusses the use of electronic portfolios by school library media specialists for professional development as a resume, an evaluation instrument, or other types of credential documentation. Includes guidelines for building a successful portfolio, including appropriate software selection; audience considerations; and technology skill…