Offers suggestions relating to the general characteristics of young readers to aid library media specialists in effective teaching and communication. Topics discussed include physical access, dependence, and activity levels; the use of games and dramatic play; children's interests; conceptual development; and emotional needs and behaviors. (CLB)

Describes a survey that asked 45 library school faculty to identify the criteria that characterize high quality masters programs. The findings discussed include differences in opinions of faculty in doctoral and non-doctoral granting schools, and attitudes toward teaching quality and responsiveness to current issues as appropriate criteria. (13…

Discusses the need for library science to examine users' search behaviors in the context of social cognition and creative problem solving. Topics covered include the psychology of search behavior, problem solving approaches to library instruction in online searching, and problem solving protocols. (29 references) (CLB)

Discusses the emerging interest in media education, or media literacy, and its impact on the role of the school library media specialist. Highlights include the school reform and restructuring movement; the impact of technology on literacy; the role in civic education and in health education; and media education support organizations. (Contains 17…

Discussion of precision in information retrieval highlights a prototype online catalog, ILSA (Improving Library Subject Access), developed at Indiana University of Pennsylvania that uses subject clusters and classification. Topics addressed include problems with keyword searching, controlled vocabulary, and thesauri; natural language mapping…

Examines the process of constructing a new school library. Highlights include organizing the planning team, working with the architect, planning the environment and the details, and preparing for the grand opening. (AEF)

A study was conducted at Edith Cowan University on providing information literacy education to remote students through communication technology. Highlights include educational theory, information literacy, and the role of the library; attitudes to external study and library use; attitudes and access to technology; confidence levels in information…

Presents the "big six," problem solving strategies of highly effective students in all grade levels and subject areas. Outlines steps parents and media specialists can follow to help students with their homework. Sidebars present the big six skills and information seeking activities and a big six assignment organizer for grades three…

Provides fully developed library media activities for elementary and middle school students, most of which are designed to be used in connection with specific curriculum units. Topics covered include art; reading/language arts, including fiction, point of view, storytelling, and dictionary skills; science; and social studies. (LRW)

Reports on the certification requirements for school library media specialists in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Testing and educational requirements are given, competencies and skills needed in various subject areas are listed, and the role of the American Library Association is explained. A directory of credentialing agencies is…

Discusses ergonomic design considerations for library media centers. Specific design variables, including temperature and humidity, noise, illumination, color, and windows are discussed; and computer workstation design requirements are presented that address furniture and keyboard design, monitor and display features, software issues, and…

Resource-based learning and information literacy skills play important roles in the Minnesota State University System's efforts to improve undergraduate educational quality, and the library is seen as both the locus and the agent for acquiring those skills. A blue ribbon commission's 1991 report describes the academic library of the future.…

Reports on research involving 300 K-5 students in a 2-year study of teaching and learning literature as art. The report briefly describes the kinds of changes elementary school teachers and university personnel made in their knowledge and instructional practices and the impact on children's knowledge and understanding of literature. (Contains…

Examines how informetric characteristics of information retrieval (IR) system databases can be used to help system designers decide what type of file structures would provide the best performance. The development of appropriate models describing database contents is highlighted in this first part of a two-part study. (30 references) (LRW)

Describes a study that investigated semantic relationships between citing and cited documents for a sample of document pairs in three journals in library and information science. Highlights include comparisons of Library of Congress classification numbers and subject descriptors; implications for collection development and relevance; and…