Argues that the primary purpose of the school library is to provide information, and discusses selection policies, the librarian's teaching responsibilities, the need for clerical assistance, and centralized processing in this context. A vision of the school library as information center is presented with summaries of the roles of teachers, the…

This 25-article issue presents overview of reference services for childern and young adults, including public and school libraries, information needs, reference interviews, children's librarians, library instruction, library cooperation, production of information resources, material selection, and vertical files. References are included. (Haworth…

Includes 89 references to materials relating to accountability and evaluation of library reference services. Highlights include research; statistics; planning; user studies; decision making; school libraries; public libraries; academic libraries; and standards. (LRW)

Discusses the results of a survey of school librarians in North Carolina conducted to determine the extent of CD-ROM and videodisk use and how they are changing the teaching of library, information, and research skills. CD-ROM and videodisk titles are listed, and recommendations for further study are suggested. The questionnaire is appended.…

Discusses the public for bibliographic instruction in libraries, what they are learning, who is not being served, and what the implications of that failure are. It is suggested that bibliographic instruction should create a public knowledgeable about the information environment, including its principles, structure, systems, and libraries as…

Discussion of secondary school library and information skills focuses on a study at East Carolina University that was conducted to determine what library skills first-year college students had. Highlights include instruction on library usage in high school; actual library usage; and identification of standard reference terms. (Contains three…

Discusses changes in the role of the elementary school library media specialist. Highlights include cooperation with classroom teachers and administrators; the role of the school principal; actions to initiate change; structuring research for students' success; and sample library instructional activities. (LRW)

Describes a study of secondary school library media specialists that was conducted to investigate the potential use of reference transaction measures. The use of the Reference Transaction Module is explained which used three different output measures: Transaction Analysis, Reference Completion Rate, and Transactions per Student. (LRW)

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…

Explains resource-based teaching and the necessary teamwork involving teachers and media specialists. Topics discussed include the librarian's role in curriculum planning; the role of school principals; implementation problems facing librarians; competencies needed by media specialists for curriculum planning; and how to gather support for…

Relates the whole-language concept to the reference process in the school library media center and presents a model of a whole-language librarian. Highlights include selection as part of the inquiry process; books as the basis for discussion; and the media center as a model of democratic community. (Contains 27 references.) (LRW)

Reviews current trends in instructional assessment and proposes a model for assessing information skills instruction in school library media centers using principles advocated in outcome-based education (OBE). Assessment techniques discussed include observation, journals, student projects, paper and pencil tests, self-evaluation, peer evaluation,…

Discussion of multimedia technology focuses on a study of middle school students that explored ways in which students used a multimedia resource to complete a research task in art and compared results with use of a print-based resource. Topics addressed include information seeking activities and value-added characteristics. (Contains 19…

Discusses CD-ROM and its implications for student research, student interactivity, and student production in the school library media center. Highlights include CD-ROM reference sources; the top 10 CD-ROM titles; CD-ROM storybooks and student productions; and other CD-ROM production possibilities and future plans. (Contains 21 references.) (LRW)

Describes the use of Compact Disc-Interactive (CD-I) and Commodore Dynamic Total Vision (CDTV) technology in school library media center reference services. CD-I and CDTV are compared to CD-ROM regarding hardware, editing, and software; and to videodisks regarding hardware, analog/digital, standardization, audio/video, and cost. (Contains 12…