This brief article responds to the research finding that effective school libraries have clear roles focused on student achievement. Based on recent research findings, Ross Todd, Carol Kuhlthau and an Ohio team concluded that eight characteristics can be used to place a stronger emphasis on learning. The characteristics include: (1) Resource…

Today's teens face an endless barrage of media--television, movies, radio, the Internet, magazines, and electronic games, not to mention those advertising slogans that shout out at them from billboards, bumper stickers, and even T-shirts. The sheer amount of time that teens spend with media is mind-boggling. Over the course of a year, young adults…

The old cliche about not reinventing the wheel is especially apropos concerning the grant writing process. It has been my experience that grant writing is equal parts form and substance. The "trick" is to discover a successful formula that can be used repeatedly to secure different grants, while every grant underwriting organization has its own…

Once again, this column has been inspired by a recent discussion amongst teacher-librarians. The topic, as it often is, focused on getting kids to read for pleasure when there are so many other choices. This article offers some simple suggestions that school librarians can use to get kids to choose to read over other activities.

He may be fated to look boyish when he's collecting social security, but Steven M. Cohen, proprietor of the blog Library Stuff, is as grownup and dedicated a librarian as one will ever meet. His first library job was as a reference librarian and Internet trainer in a public library. He loved its "overall feeling of democracy in action"…

Leisure has been contested as a valid role of public libraries in the UK since their introduction in 1850 yet it has been a major reason for the public's use of libraries. Where the educational role and information provision function of libraries have been seen as purposeful and worthwhile, the leisure role has been generally valued less with the…

This is the second of two articles examining the leisure role of public libraries. The first article examined the leisure role of public libraries in the UK from a historical perspective. This examines the value of the public library service in providing leisure opportunities from a user point of view. The results demonstrate that public libraries…

High schools are under tremendous pressure to increase graduation rates and lower dropout numbers. A survey conducted for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation indicated that over a third of students entering high school never graduate on time. Students who drop out claim that the curriculum is disconnected from real life and that their schools…

The purpose of this research project was to study the role of elementary school librarians in reading instruction in Region II, Education Service Center area of Texas. By using school web sites and telephoning schools it was found that 51 of the 104 elementary schools did indeed have school librarians while 46 did not. The study found that 7…

Securing public access workstations should be a significant part of any library's network and information-security strategy because of the sensitive information patrons enter on these workstations. As the IT manager for the Johnson County Library in Kansas City, Kan., this author is challenged to make sure that thousands of patrons get the access…

In this article, the author states that the answer to the question--"How do we respond to the dreams of teachers?''--can be found in school libraries, where professional librarians are prepared to build supportive alliances with teachers. Although school library programs around the nation vary, they all share core values of service to their users,…

Digital and textual objects are coming under a new kind of scrutiny as scholars are becoming more interested in physical artifacts and their relation to their social and cultural environment. This study of material culture suggests a need to explore the nature of digital materiality, as well as the broader historical context in which electronic…

During the last 10 years, many libraries have transformed their young adult areas into more efficient, innovative, and inspirational spaces. Many teens have suddenly found the library warm and inviting--a place that encouraged independence, learning, socialization, and creativity. As more people learn about the positive impact of dynamic teen…

Encouraging literacy and academic success among English language learners (ELLs) is becoming an increasingly common challenge for educators. In the course of the authors work of training teachers or providing training for implementation of materials, they have found that the resources of the school library media center are invaluable for helping…

Rapidly developing online information technologies provide dramatically new capabilities and opportunities, and place new responsibilities on all involved to recreate networks for scholarly communication. Collaborations between all segments of the information network are made possible and necessary as we attempt to find a balanced and mutually…