This paper describes a study comparing the information literacy skills of commencing undergraduate and postgraduate Information Studies students at Curtin University. The study was conducted by means of an online multiple choice survey, which students completed during the first few weeks of their course. The results show that a number of both…

The essay presents a quasi-case study of one academic librarian's experience as an embedded librarian in multiple online courses over a five-year period. Technology used included chat, email, and a librarian question-and-answer bulletin board inside an eCollege course management system, and a dedicated-use ElluminateLive! virtual training room for…

The American Association of School Librarians' (AASL's) School Libraries Count! annual longitudinal survey is an online survey that is open to all elementary and secondary school library media programs to participate. The 2009 survey was launched on January 30, and closed on March 22. AASL has received a high participation rate during the three…

Roberta Stevens and Kent Oliver are campaigning hard for the presidency of the American Library Association (ALA). Stevens is outreach projects and partnerships officer at the Library of Congress. Oliver is executive director of the Stark County District Library in Canton, Ohio. They have debated, discussed, and posted web sites, Facebook pages,…

Just as the Internet is likely to be one of the most disruptive overall technologies of a man's lifetime, Google Books may become one of the most disruptive technologies for academic libraries. The immediate challenge is that Google Book's deeper indexing and more advanced relevancy ranking usually works better than that of local catalogs--and it…

This publication follows the tradition of publishing selected papers from Pacific Islands Association of Libraries, Archives and Museums (PIALA) annual conferences. This 21st annual conference was held in Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia, November 14-17, 2011. The volume begins with a listing of the members of the PIALA 2011 Planning…

In this article, the author provides an overview of and her reflections on the new American Association of School Librarians (AASL) program guidelines, "Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs" (2009). At just sixty-four pages, this publication is easy to browse and ready for investigation. As to be expected from…

Reading4Life @ your library[R] (R4L) significantly extends the role of school librarians in the areas of classroom-library collaboration, reading instruction during the inquiry process, and evidence-based practice. With this position paper, AASL clearly places a greater value than it has in the past on the instructional partnership role of the…

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has a long history of leadership as an important membership organization serving the research library community. A reading of its history highlights a substantial shift in its methods of community leadership in recent decades. Historically, like most membership organizations, ARL was largely focused on…

Political advocacy continues to gain ground in the state of Washington after the landmark Washington state legislative support of emergency funding ($4.09 million) for library media centers during the 2008 legislative session. This stepped-up political advocacy is due to the efforts of the Washington Library Media Association Advocacy members…

The feelings of librarians planning for the American Library Association (ALA) conference at Disneyland (aka Anaheim, California, June 26-July 2) range from moderate pleasure to dread. Some remember the joys and difficulties of Orlando, especially the exorbitant cab fares and mediocre restaurants. Others quail at screaming kids and tourists in…

Library professionals have always engaged with associations and communities to share experiences and information. Going back through the earliest times of the profession, librarians have interacted through conference meetings, professional publications, and a variety of other venues. These in-person and print-based interactions continue as…

Hard times bring out the ambiguity in politics. Except for fiscal extremists, most politicians in North America want to support their libraries. When "Library Journal" ("LJ") planned to name the heroes and villains in the politics of library funding, they rediscovered that politics just is not that simple, and that it may be a…

The perfect politician, the ideal political ally to a library, is often but not always an elected official. He or she is always an effective champion of "reasonable financial support," i.e., "the amount...which a thoroughly competent librarian can spend wisely." That is what J.T. Wyer, director of the New York State Library, said in his "What the…

Any student will tell people that one question they've been asked repeatedly is "What do you want to be when you grow up?" From a young age, adults expect children to think about their future and to work toward a career goal. If teachers expect their students to be goal driven, career-oriented individuals, they need to provide them with ample…