Discusses the importance of professional development for library media specialists and presents suggestions for staying current in the field, including participation in conferences, taking advantage of continuing-education opportunities, reading professional journals, and using Internet resources. (MES)

Procedures for developing selection standards for media center materials and for handling complaints that may arise are identified. To aid the librarian or school media specialist who needs assistance in censorship matters, a list of appropriate Wisconsin area agencies and associations is given, including their purposes, services, addresses, and…

Discusses the value of professionally sanctioned guidelines for planning, implementing, and evaluating reference and information services in school libraries. A checklist is provided for assessing school library media reference services based in part on "Information Power." Results can be used for evaluating and upgrading existing…

Presents guidelines for establishing and maintaining Young Adult services in the library. Discusses identifying the needs of young adults; developing the collection; marketing; programming; school outreach; networking; community visits and raising community awareness; popular culture; staff support and training; and professional associations and…

This guide is designed to assist all libraries, including school, public, academic, and specialized libraries such as prison and institutional libraries, to better serve the needs of people of all ages who are mentally retarded. An overview provides a definition of mental retardation, places services for people with mental retardation in…

This paper examines "Information Power: Guidelines for School Library Media" ("Guidelines"), a key document published by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) that proposes changes in school library media development in the United States and…

This selection guide was compiled as an introduction to the subject of acquiring library materials for the mentally handicapped. It is intended for a wide variety of users: librarians who work in public, hospital, and school libraries; people who consult with publishers; and people who have responsibility for selecting materials for use with or by…

This paper discusses the need for developing provincial/state, regional, and district partnerships to provide critical support for library media programs at the building level. It maintains that the experts who provide leadership at each level must be strong advocates for the integration of the library media program into all aspects of the…

Developed as a basic resource for Georgia school media personnel, this handbook draws together the information most frequently needed by media professionals across the state. The information is drawn from a variety of sources and, in some instances, abridged for ease of use or understanding. Areas covered include: (1) preparation and…

The mission of today's school library media center is to help prepare students to enter the information age of the 21st century. To carry out this mission, library media specialists, administrators, and teachers must ensure that students can effectively locate, access, interpret, evaluate, and communicate information. The school library media…