Today's students have grown up in an information environment very different from the one that many people remember. They have been raised on the fast-paced edutainment of "Sesame Street" and have spent their adolescence watching 3-minute music videos on MTV. Their media environment specializes in short messages and multimedia, with news dispatched…

This document is one of a series of guides to self-evaluation. It builds on the advice given in "How good is our school?" (revised edition 2002) and, more specifically, "Taking a Closer Look at the School Library Resource Centre" published in 1999. This guidance is intended for use in the primary, special and secondary sectors.…

Reports on activities of the Information Skills Task Force of the American Association of School Librarians that addressed three main issues: (1) student competencies required to access, use, and apply information; (2) preparing an information skills curriculum; and (3) ensuring the integration of information skills into the elementary and…

Discusses the changing role of school librarians based on a historical account in North Dakota. The role of automation is emphasized, i.e., how it has changed librarians' tasks, attitudes toward librarians, and how time is spent; and needed skills, teacher collaboration, wider access to materials, and future possibilities are discussed. (LRW)

As the need to access information increases, school librarians must create virtual libraries. Linked to reliable reference resources, the virtual library extends the physical collection and library hours and lets students learn to use Web-based resources in a protected learning environment. The growing number of virtual schools increases the need…

Archbishop Chapelle High School (ACHS) is an award-winning, girls school in Metairie, Louisiana. This article describes the library supporting the ACHS curriculum, highlighting library skills courses, block scheduling, educational technology and Internet access, the role of the librarian in administration and curriculum development, and public…

Describes "Wildlife and Plants of the World," a multivolume encyclopedia set for third to seventh grades that is a basic science resource, and explains how it can be used by teachers and library media specialists to structure assignments that allow students to practice standard access skills that will transfer to other information resources. (LRW)

School use of PRESTEL, CAMPUS 2000, NERIS, and ECCTIS is discussed, and the implications of these online services and CD-ROM products are considered. A report is given on the CHIRP project (Computer Hotline for Information Re-Packaging), which is designed to teach information skills in a way that is relevant and motivates pupils. (21 references)…

Outlines the cognitive theories influencing the Science Library Catalog's (SLC) design; describes the catalog itself; explains research based on the SLC; and discusses research results, emphasizing findings that are most relevant to school library media specialists developing children's information skills. An annotated bibliography of 14 related…

Suggests a core curriculum for information access skills in automated school library media centers. Student activities are described for six main areas: designing an effective research question, understanding a database, designing a simple search strategy, more advanced search strategies, understanding a computer citation/abstract, and documenting…

Information literacy is the ability to use information purposefully and effectively. It is a holistic, interactive learning process encompassing the skills-based phases of defining, locating, selecting, organizing, presenting, and evaluating information from sources that include books and other media, experiences, and people; being able to…

Presents information on library services to children and youth that was prepared for the 1991 White House Conference on Library and Information Services. Children's needs and library responses are suggested, including locating and using information, use of current technology, equal access to information, critical thinking, and lifelong learning.…

To determine if cooperative planning between the library media specialist (LMS) and the classroom teacher affects the integration of information access skills into the curriculum, classroom teachers in grades 1 through 5 were surveyed in 10 randomly selected schools in Cobb County (Georgia). Of the 183 teachers surveyed, 131 returned…

This handbook is designed to help classroom teachers, library media specialists, and others who wish to integrate information literacy into their curriculum. It provides models and strategies which encourage children and young adults to find, analyze, create, and use information as they become productive citizens. The following topics are…

The Utah State Board of Education established a policy requiring the identification of specific core curriculum standards that must be completed by all kindergarten through grade 12 students as a requisite for graduation. The core curriculum consequently represents standards of learning that are essential for all students. This document presents…