Suggests sources of information for African American History Month for library media specialists who work with students in grades four through eight. Gale Research's "African-American Reference Library," which includes "African-America Biography,""African-American Chronology," and "African-American Almanac,"…

Describes the planning and implementation of a resource-based inquiry unit about the position of women in society to coincide with Women's History Month. Details the scheduling, content, and structure of the unit, as well as student, participant, and teacher reactions to the project. (JKP)

A three-year study examined the role of outdoor education centers in Wales; strategies for establishing closer links between outdoor education centers and the schools they serve; and the adequacy of inservice teacher education in meeting the needs of school teachers and center staff. (LP)

Discusses the role of library media specialists in education. Highlights include assessing the effect of media specialists on learning outcomes; sexism; educational change; and strategic planning for media centers and for schools, including a paradigm shift for media specialists to assume a leadership role in the educational community. (LRW)

Considers ways to support library media specialists and information professionals in their emerging role as change agents in schools or learning communities of the future, based on fictional future scenarios. Topics include planning for change, lifelong learning, cooperation, the use of technology, and skill development. (LRW)

Describes a collaborative project by Austin Community College's Child Development, Child Laboratory, and Learning Resource Services programs to improve services available for those serving the city's youth, especially those involved in child care. Highlights goals for the program's lending library activities. Supporting data on the status of child…

Describes a beginning Internet course at Mankato State University (Minnesota) designed for preservice and inservice school library media professionals and students. The course addresses the following topics: electronic mail; LISTSERVs; news services; gophering; FTP; and telneting. Other skills such as downloading and locating resources are also…

Describes the management of a learning resource center (LRC) budget. Topics discussed include controlling a budget, keeping records, managing grants, managing petty cash, responding to unexpected expenses, managing capital outlay dollars, managing insurance, balancing budgets, budget stretching strategies, and fund raising. (JLB)

Provides an activity for school library media specialists or teachers that helps students become more aware of the names of major cities and locations on the globe through the use of a variety of materials, including overhead transparencies. Directions for making transparencies from student worksheets and a cardboard template are included. (LRW)

Lists resources useful for school library media specialists and other individual users of the Internet as well as some that can be used to teach others. Titles include background and philosophical contexts, journals, network access and service providers, ERIC resources, fiction, videos, textbooks, and the U.S. Department of Education Online…

Describes a collaborative curriculum program developed by the library media specialist and classroom teachers for a sixth-grade unit on space exploration at a North Carolina elementary school. Staff development, shared activities of teachers and the library media specialist, and special activities in the library media center are described. (LRW)

Discusses the planning and implementation of a sixth-grade sleepover in a school library to celebrate National Library Week and to provide literature enrichment. Topics include student selection criteria; preparation; schedule and sample of activities; commentary and evaluation of event. Sidebars offer information on items to bring for overnight…

Discusses six ways to prevent the school media center from becoming a study hall recreation area: (1) schedule learning activities; (2) add technology to work areas; (3) share space with adults; (4) minimize rules; (5) provide alternative activities; and (6) change the school climate. (Author/AEF)

Discusses the need for school library media specialists to become more vocal advocates in the community for public education and funding, and provides resources that offer relevant information regarding the achievement of national education goals as well as advocacy resources. (LRW)

Provides guidance for turning the library media center into a place where students can use multimedia tools for research, authoring, and publishing. Sidebars include: a multimedia club sample student contract, a component list for a multimedia workstation starter kit, a checklist for planning and assembling mini-centers, and a sample multimedia…