School libraries have been in existence since at least the eighth century. However, it wasn't until the twentieth century that the school library was seen primarily as "a source of enrichment for the curriculum, and a means of developing reading and study habits in the pupils" (Clyde 1981, 263). While the formats available and tools for…

In this article, the author discusses how to transform a down-on-its-luck library into an irresistible place for boys. She suggests to begin with vision, energy, and a lot of hard work. Based on the author's 30-plus years of experience working with students, she knows boys respond well to a scholarly environment. In fact, it is one of the ways…

E-Books are books or other forms of text in digital form, an enhanced book without paper and at little or no cost, technologies that are already available at most schools can be used to expand the library media center's collection of books, at the same time making many books more accessible to students. Many tools are available for free to convert…

Describes the development of Books for Africa, an organization that solicits donations of books in the United States and sends them to Africa, largely to school libraries, to improve literacy rates, increase library holdings, and build library shelves. Other organizations that donate books are also listed. (LRW)

Reviews 14 books and a CD-ROM for how they correlate with the goals of Information Power and how their theories, ideas and examples empower the school library media specialist (SLMS) to effectively implement Information Power. Two tables list Information Power books by groups and by roles of the SLMS. (AEF)

Presents an overview of libraries and related services for Palestinian Arab Children in the Haifa and Galilee regions of Israel and on the West Bank based on interviews with librarians and educators between 1993 and 1996. Covers funding, organization, collection development, censorship, staffing, and programming. (MMU)

Focuses on evaluating the school library media collection. Discusses how to figure the age of the collection; comparing the collection to a professional selection source; and how to estimate the cost of upgrading the collection. Includes a sample letter to principal and supporting fact sheet. (AEF)

This book focuses on the selection of books in an elementary school and on the resources designed to help in that process. Resources that support other aspects of collection development are identified, along with a number of established surveys of children's literature that discuss specific titles. The following chapters are included: (1)…

Describes a study that examined the use of children's books in a public library and a school library to determine whether there were differences in types and subjects of books circulated, and whether a relationship existed between the school district curriculum and circulation of nonfiction subjects. The implications for cooperative collection…

This paper compiles information pertaining to over 200 challenges to public school library books, text books, reading series, magazines, newspapers, plays, and nonprint materials in Oregon from 1968 through 1993. Although Oregon ranks 29th in the nation in population, it is second only to California in the average number of challenges in school…

Summarizes a survey of developments during 1993 through 94 in public and private school library media programs in the United States. Highlights include: expenditures for all types of nonbook resources compared to books, reading motivation programs, staff development programs, and the use of Internet and e-mail. Seventeen tables display survey…

This resource, designed to help school library media specialists select the most exciting, curriculum-related literature for teachers and students in grades 5-9, contains approximately 300 contemporary and classic fiction and non-fiction titles selected on the basis of the quality of writing, interest level, appropriateness of illustration (if…

This collection development aid lists more than 10,000 titles of children's materials available in a variety of formats (in addition to print materials, the guide also includes sound recordings, video cassettes, microcomputer software programs, CD-ROM products, and videodiscs). This 20th anniversary edition contains several special features,…