School librarians regularly face difficult intellectual freedom questions. Is it a good idea to put grade- or reading-level labels on the outside of books or use labels to determine what students should read? Do children have First Amendment rights? The ALA "Intellectual Freedom Manual" provides answers and guidance. The…

When American Association of School Librarians' (AASL) "Standards for the 21st Century Learner" were released in late 2007, librarians rushed to incorporate them in curricula at the local and state level and in existing lessons. After an initial frenzy of simply replacing old learning objectives with new ones, the field settled into the task of…

Whether a school library program is the picture of good health in a state that mandates a professionally staffed library media center in every building or is suffering in a low-wealth district that is facing drastic cuts, the recently launched toolkits by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) are stocked with useful strategies and…

In 2006, technology directors from independent schools across the country had banded together and created "Principles of Good Practice" for technology in independent schools. These principles "define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of independent school operations" (NAIS 2006). This author decided that it was time for the National…

Presents a rationale for keeping the school library media center's vertical files. Discusses reasons related to: student accessibility, supplement to the school curricula, local topics, and limited financial resources. Outlines ten guidelines for maintaining a useful and current file collection. (AEF)

Discusses sampling of circulation data as a technique for library media program management. Highlights include random and purposive sampling techniques; studies of circulation samples; factors affecting circulation patterns; guidelines for sampling circulation statistics over shorter time periods; and an example using statistics gathered from an…

This directory of Alaska's Libraries lists: members of the Alaska Library Association (AkLA) Executive Council and Committee Chairs; State Board of Education members; members of the Governor's Advisory Council on Libraries; school, academic and public libraries and their addresses, phone and fax numbers, and contact persons; personal,…

As a result of an Iowa state mandate for budgeting of school library media centers, the publication "Planning the School Library Media Center Budget" was updated in 1991. Since that time, the Uniform Financial Accounting's document has phased in a management information system which includes different numbers and dimensions from those…

Discusses management guidelines to follow when conducting performance appraisal conferences for clerical assistants or paraprofessionals in secondary school libraries. Topics addressed include the need for privacy during the conference; making the assistant part of the process by asking for a self-evaluation; being well prepared; and properly…

This booklet presents guidelines for planning the school library media center budget based on short and long range plans for maintaining and developing collections and services. It is noted that such planning should consider the goals and objectives of the district, the school, and particular programs, and that democratic budgeting should involve…

Discusses the role of paraprofessionals in secondary school libraries and suggests guidelines for the selection process. Highlights include a sample job description for a library media assistant that includes expectations and responsibilities; the need for adequate training; providing a variety of assignments; and establishing consistent policies.…

A major characteristic of Canadian society has been an increasingly multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-linguistic population. It has become evident that there is a critical need for the educational system to respond more effectively and more creatively to the needs of a diverse society. In order to address this issue, the Manitoba government has…

Some of the issues currently confronting libraries are discussed from the perspective of the librarian in an independent school, including automation, censorship, copyright legislation, evaluation, insurance, and networks. A section of statements about these issues and questions relating them to the respondent's library is provided as a guide to…

Describes evaluation checklists developed by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) for use by school library resource centers. Separate checklists are described for teacher-librarians, school administrators, district and regional library directors, teachers,…

Presents guidelines for library media specialists who are preparing to install automated systems to provide improved management and access services. Reasons for automating library management are discussed; hardware and software considerations are reviewed, including costs and compatibility; and retrospective conversion of bibliographic records is…