The Bitmoji classroom craze swept education during online teaching and learning in 2020-21. Was that just a fad for pandemic times, or do they retain value in post-pandemic K-12 education? In a recent survey of 72 educators that included 45 school librarians, 71%, mostly at the elementary level, reported that they still use them. The purposes…

For school librarians, technology is an essential component of their work. To meet the growing need in this area, Odin Jurkowski first wrote Technology and the School Library in 2006. To address the technological advancements, Jurkowski provides an overview of the types of technologies used in school libraries, from traditional low-tech options to…

This study analyzes data collected between 2000 and 2013 from the annual National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data (CCD) Local Education Agency (School District) Universe Survey; the NCES Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS); and the U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates Survey (SAIPE). The findings…

At the request of New Business Item: 89 (NBI: 89) adopted at the 2015 NEA Representative Assembly, this study examines the extent to which students have access to public school library/media centers with qualified staff and up-to-date resources. The study explores trends in library/media center openings and closings as well as staffing patterns…

Today many library resources are accessible 24/7. Students can be in the classroom, home, or at their favorite fast food place and do what once required a visit to the library. Electronic access to information has become a major part of the culture. No longer are students just watching a 16mm projected film in class; now they can access online…

The World Wide Web has come a long way in a very short time. A little more than a decade ago, with the invention of Mosaic, the first browser to display images inline with text instead of displaying images in a separate window, and Netscape, the first graphical user interface (browser), people began to experience a rapid expansion of information.…

Library media specialists need tools to help them manage the school library media program. The Internet includes a vast array of tools that a library media specialist might find useful. The websites and electronic resources included in this article are only a representative sample and future columns may explore additional tools. All the tools are…

This article discusses the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR), a plan that is quickly gaining the support of library organizations around the globe. The FRBR Study Group was appointed by International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) and issued its final report in 1998. The report redefines the basic unit of…

Describes how technology changes the nature of the school media specialist's job, and discusses staff and equipment sources of techno-stress. Notes the importance of anticipating problem areas and planning to deal with them in advance. Presents strategies for minimizing the amount of frustration/stress associated with technology. (AEF)

This article presents the findings of the 2006 School Library Journal-San Jose State University Automation Survey. The study takes a close look at the systems that media specialists are using, how they are using them, and what librarians want from their future automation programs. The findings reveal that while respondents were satisfied with…

Suggests that instructional technology theory and practice can be introduced into public schools through the school library media center. The changing role of the school library media specialist resulting from computerized library systems is reviewed, the media specialist as change agent is described, and information literacy is discussed. (15…

Describes a study of high school library media specialists that was conducted to determine whether media specialists with automated circulation systems spent time differently than those without automated systems and in what areas the differences occurred. The differences found are discussed, and future research is suggested. (LRW)

This directory is designed to allow media specialists in regional areas of Oklahoma to share their experiences in computer applications for libraries. The first of two sections lists schools using computers for circulation, computerized catalogs, library management, CD-ROM, laser disk programs, and online information systems. Schools are listed…

Describes library media specialists' efforts to implement technology in schools in Alaska, Minnesota and Florida. Discusses obstacles and challenges to implementation in other schools, including budget cuts; time pressures and responsibility overload; and friction between technology coordinators and instructional specialists, and teachers and…

This document outlines a workshop for media specialists--"School Library Automation: Solving the Puzzle"--that is designed to reduce automation anxiety and give a broad overview of the concerns confronting school library media centers planning for or involved in automation. Issues are addressed under the following headings: (1) Levels of School…