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…

The primary focus of research that the authors have undertaken at New Mexico State University for the past several years can be summed up with the question--are Presidential Libraries educational institutions or are they simply political monuments and messages? The authors have conducted extensive investigations involving visitations to ten…

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…

Teachers serving students with disabilities often rely on the school library because of the diversity of resources, its positive association for many students, and the perception that it facilitates individualized attention. Media specialists and educators report that teachers typically send students with disabilities to the school library during…

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…

This study investigated how school and public librarians can become better disseminators of health information and improve health information literacy in small and rural communities in a selected research area. We used the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas as our study area, composed of the economically depressed Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and…

Librarians have been working with families for years within and outside of libraries, providing access to print, motivating young children to read, and making connections with schools. Through interviews, observations, and an analysis of outreach documents from libraries in urban, suburban, and rural counties, this study sought to investigate what…

There is a curriculum ready, willing, and able to remedy the US' significant information literacy deficiency. So why doesn't anyone know about information literacy standards? In a recent editorial column by Carol Simpson, she offers three suggestions: (1) library media specialists are not doing a good job spreading the word; (2) The standards are…

School library media specialists are natural advocates; they are enthusiastic readers and seekers of information who, by disposition and the nature of their jobs, willingly share knowledge and excitement about learning and opportunities with students and colleagues. In this article, the author discusses the importance of both the "sparks" of…

One candidate for president-elect of the American Library Association (ALA) is a woman, the other is a man. One can tell them apart by looking at them. But Nancy Davenport and James Rettig are not that far apart on the issues that confront the old association and the profession it serves. They have selected slightly different emphases for their…

These Guidelines constitute the third edition of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) "Multicultural Communities: "Guidelines for Library Services." This revision follows the IFLA Section of Library Services to Multicultural Populations' "2006-2010 Strategic Plans": to review and revise the…

Staff members at E. H. Butler Library, Buffalo State College, have collaborated with the College-Based Transition Program to help students with disabilities achieve a more rounded, fulfilling college experience. The CBTP program is a partnership between the Buffalo Public Schools, People Inc., Parents for Public Schools, and Buffalo State…

A recent American Library Association (ALA) report has shown that less than 1% of credentialed librarians are African American males. This article discusses possible reasons for this dearth; and, in an effort to inform future LIS recruiting and marketing campaigns, the included study attempted to discover which factors lead African American males…

Distinguishes between Knowledge and Information, emphasizes the importance of the distinction and the dangers of failing to recognize it, and argues for defining libraries as "Fortresses of Knowledge." (JD)

The pervasive, personal crisis of intimate partner violence (IPV) demands community information resources in workforce, health care, mental health, public housing, criminal justice, and social service arenas. Although generally underutilized, public libraries have a pivotal role to play as the only public institution specifically structured to…