School librarians have a critical role to play in supporting the use of Ed Tech within our schools. It is an ever-changing field. Additionally, it is often the school librarian who has the unique responsibility of introducing and sharing new technology with their school community. However, school librarians also have the added responsibility of…

Demands for the Internet in administrative, instructional, and learning tasks in schools are rising. Because adequate bandwidth in schools supports the home-school learning continuum, links to civic and governmental organizations, and situations in which home connectivity is scarce, reconsiderations in investments in connectivity supply and…

As the century unfolds, students will probably rely almost exclusively on electronic resources for their research and reading. In fact, the digitization of information (and entertainment) is already a defining characteristic of this "Information Age" and quite natural to the "digital natives" born into this era. School leaders need to see evidence…

In this Best of "Knowledge Quest" monograph, the editors have collected seminal articles to support pre-service and in-service school librarians in developing and strengthening the instructional partner role. "Instructional Partnerships: A Pathway to Leadership" provides readers with background knowledge, research-based…

School librarians need to be proactive in identifying new ways to help students prepare for the world of the future. Students need relevant educational experiences that support emerging demands created by information and service based economies. The economies of Pacific Rim countries such as the USA, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Canada are…

Since the earliest days of the profession, school libraries have been establishing standards and guidelines to guide and shape school library programs. For the most part, the standards have shaped what programs are and what they do. Rarely has a set of standards focused on the content and process of what school libraries teach students. The…

The library, as we once knew it, may no longer be relevant. And, yet, this is undoubtedly the most exciting time in history to be a librarian. The future of the school library as a relevant and viable institution is largely dependent on librarians and how quickly they respond to change. They worry about their field and their practice. They worry…

Teenagers will freely give up personal information to join social networks on the Internet. However, a 2007 study by the Pew Internet and American Life project found that most of the 55 percent of teens who place their personal profiles online take steps to protect themselves from the most obvious areas of risk. Parents, teachers, and librarians…

The "Educational Media and Technology Yearbook" is dedicated to theoretical, empirical, and practical approaches to educational media development. All chapters are invited and selected based on a variety of strategies to determine current trends and issues in the field. The 2011 edition highlights innovative Trends and Issues in Learning…

One of the most important roles for school libraries in the digital age is to provide students with a context for processing Internet information. It has been suggested that the school library should strive for a more pronounced clicks-and-mortar identity combining the best of the web and the traditional library collection.

In this article, the author asks the question "Where do students at your school get most of their information for research?" He states that if they are only using the Web, their research is probably on shaky footing. Using only print or using only digital resources often gives student researchers only part of the picture and provides inadequate…

To have an impact on student achievement, librarians must first find ways to educate kids who are steeped in an information-rich world--and then use research to show other educators how libraries make a difference in learning. Today's students live in an information-rich "cocoon" that most librarians did not grow up in, said David Loertscher,…

In this article, the author describes a day in the life of Sandy Meagher, a librarian for 22 years at the Honesdale, Pennsylvania, elementary school. On a normal day in the library, Meagher's activities include conducting sessions of read-aloud time, assisting children in selecting research materials for a class project, and guiding Internet…

Discussion of the role of school libraries focuses on a study in England that monitored secondary school students completing a resource-based learning project. Compared students' use of the school library at four different schools with their use of other information resources, including public libraries and the Internet. (Author/LRW)

Discusses how librarians can help parents become more knowledgeable about the Internet so they can guide their children in Internet use and become technologically independent. Recommends that school libraries develop Web pages that parents can access and discusses Web page design, content for children, and content for parents. (LRW)