Discusses sequential art, also known as comic books or graphic novels, as reading motivators, as content, as literature, and as the subject itself. Includes comic resources for school library media specialists and describes the White House Conference that Laura Bush has promoted that has given library media centers national visibility. (LRW)

Discusses the importance of collaboration between the school library media specialists and classroom teachers from a principal's perspective. Topics include the problems with traditional scheduled library visits; media specialist as teacher; principals' expectations of teachers and media specialists; and barriers to successful collaboration. (LRW)

Discussion of information literacy and school library media specialists focuses on work outside the United States and the need for a more global approach. Describes guidelines, standards and policies and reviews programs in Australia, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, and New Zealand. (LRW)

Discusses ways to evaluate school library media programs and how to demonstrate quality. Topics include how principals evaluate programs; sources of evaluative data; national, state, and local instruments; surveys and interviews; Colorado benchmarks; evaluating the use of electronic resources; and computer reporting options. (LRW)

Describes how one elementary school created small, cross-grade-level groups to made their school a smaller place for students and to encourage interaction and support. Explains the role of the library media specialists in choosing read-aloud picture books that teach virtues mandated by the school district to be used by all groups. (LRW)

Suggest five ways for promoting school library media centers. Discusses the use of e-mail for communicating with teachers and staff; school newsletters for communicating with parents and students; involving community members; showing new library materials at staff development meetings; and booktalks using older books as well as new titles. (LRW)

Reviews the Big6 information problem-solving model. Highlights include benefits and dangers of the simplicity of the model; theories of instruction; testing of the model; the model as a process for completing research projects; and advice for school library media specialists considering use of the model. (LRW)

Discusses how library media specialists deal with budgeting and the need to discover and prioritize the needs of patrons, to explain them to those who supply funding, and to make the funds go as far as possible. Considers faculty needs; student needs; and library media specialist and center needs. (LRW)

Discusses school library media specialists and library programs and the need to promote them to make them more visible. Focuses on the need for advocacy and suggests steps to take, including collaboration with teachers, principals, and other media specialists; and includes resources for advocacy, starting with the AASL (American Association of…

Describes five models for instructional design, including the ASSURE Model (analyze learners, state objectives, select methods, media and materials, utilize media and materials, require learner participation, and evaluate); the Learning Cycle; Instructional Analysis Model; Integrated Model for Teaching Library Skills; and Instructional…

Describes common problems with signs used in school libraries and offers suggestions for improving their effectiveness. Techniques to be considered in designing legible signs are discussed, as well as developing a system of signs by evaluating their function in terms of instructional objectives. A list of suggested readings is provided. (CLB)

Describes a study designed to examine the relationship between curriculum material centers in academic libraries and types of universities. The discussion covers the difficulties in examining this relationship caused by inconsistent methods of recording statistics at centers, and the lack of a clear definition of curriculum material centers. (10…

Describes educational applications for Hypercard, a new piece of software for Apple Macintosh microcomputers. Highlights include programing languages; the development of databases; school media center applications; telecomputing possibilities; use in research activities; and the need for Macintosh computers and educational software in elementary…

Explains the work of a moderator of LM-NET, an Internet discussion group, or listserv, for school library media specialists. Topics include organization; operations, including day-to-day functioning; development, including planning for the future; and dealing with "bounces," or returned e-mail messages. (LRW)

Discusses issues of diversity, including biculturalism and multiculturalism, based on the author's personal experiences in New Zealand and other locations. An annotated bibliography of four sources that are useful background materials for school library media specialists is included. (LRW)