In recent years, a number of statewide research studies have been conducted to determine the impact of school library media centers and their school library media specialists (SLMSs) on student achievement. Research studies in eighteen states have clearly established the relationship between well-staffed, well-funded school libraries on student…

The article relates how the Brooklyn Campus Library of Long Island University, despite limitations of physical distance and the varying conditions of the remote graduate campus at Westchester, makes every effort to face each challenge creatively with practical solutions for implementation. We share our findings and experiences--what worked and…

LILi (Lifelong Information Literary), a small informal grassroots group in Southern California is raising awareness and conducting studies related to the lack of sequential information literacy instruction in California. Formed in 2004 by Esther Grassian, LILi is now an exciting, motivated and enthusiastic group of librarians from all types of…

This article describes the card-sorting techniques used by several academic libraries, reports and discusses the results of card-sorting usability tests of the Western Michigan University Libraries' Web site, and reveals how the WMU libraries incorporated the findings into a new Web site redesign, setting the design direction early on. The article…

How librarians came to their careers is as varied as the people themselves, but despite some often highly publicized challenges for college and university librarians in the digital age, academic librarianship is good work, according to the "Library Journal's" Job Satisfaction Survey. This article presents the results of this survey. The…

A hallmark of school library media best practice is for the library media center to be open and accessible to patron use before, during, and after the school day and throughout the entire school year. Anecdotal evidence and informal discussion among school library media specialists indicate that library media facilities are sometimes used for…

School Library Journal's 2007 Leadership Summit, "Where's the Evidence? Understanding the Impact of School Libraries," focused on the topic of evidence-based practice. Evidence-based school librarianship is a systematic approach that engages research-derived evidence, school librarian-observed evidence, and user-reported evidence in the processes…

In the past decade, economic development experts have moved away from traditional approaches to economic development that have relied upon recruiting or attracting large businesses with offers of tax breaks, financial incentives, and other subsidies. Increasingly, communities are focusing their economic development resources on supporting the…

Public libraries have evolved into a primary source of Internet access in many communities, generating wide-ranging impacts in the communities that public libraries serve. Based on the findings of the 2007 Public Libraries and the Internet study, this article examines the ways in which the Internet access delivered by public libraries affects…

A central goal of most library media programs is to inspire lifelong readers, who recognize and value the cognitive, affective, and even physical experiences they obtain through reading. Unfortunately, national surveys have reported that reading for pleasure is on the decline, especially among children and young adults. Many young people are…

Two science branch libraries at Penn State's University Park campus hosted film series centered on scientific documentary films. Although the reasons for starting the series differ, both have been successful in meeting their goals. Patron responses have been favorable, and the series have focused attention on the collections and services offered…

Compiling a personal professional library should be a priority for each teacher. The author canvassed the Executive Board of the National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL) to elicit its members' "must haves" among foreign language texts. In this article, the author presents a list of publications which form a foundation of resources…

This article discusses the ongoing effort in the Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA). Library media specialists who are members of the MSLA have utilized key components to successfully advocate for library media centers in the state of Massachusetts. These key components have resulted in their acquiring seats at important decision…

Gardening in the American Southwest (SW) is an extreme sport. Not only are gardeners challenged by geographic extremes from tropical deserts to subalpine locales, they must also deal with a wide range of climates. Winter in the mountains and higher regions means heavy snows, frozen soils, and temperatures that can dip below zero. In contrast,…

In this first of two articles on making the most of fixed schedules in library media centers, the author discusses the fixed library media center schedule at her school, which allows for some flexibility to help the library media specialist support authentic student learning through collaboration with teachers. She discusses the administrative and…