Describes activities developed by the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University and the Illinois State Library to prepare librarians for a new role in local economic development. Discusses results of a survey on library support for community development in terms of services and business materials collections. (AEF)

Rapid changes in technology, media, and student needs are changing the way designers look at libraries. Examples of recently built libraries reflect five current trends in library design: (1) clustered services; (2) individualized spaces; (3) centers for collaborative learning; (4) repositories of merged media; and (5) information literacy…

Considers the possibility of a bibliographic management tool that combines file storage with a Napster-like communications protocol, called docster. Explains Napster and discusses copyright issues, interlibrary loans, infrastructure, security concerns, the library's role, and online publishing. (LRW)

Describes the FLIP IT framework for developing collaborative resource-based activities by outlining the interrelationships of the specific skills and information that will be needed. Discusses the role of teachers and librarians in the process and provides a sample worksheet. (LRW)

Discusses challenges facing teacher librarians to plan a future for the information-knowledge environments in schools and suggests that action and evidence-based, learning-centered practice focusing on a constructivist inquiry approach are important. Topics include perceived lack of support and understanding; funding; professional development; a…

Discussion of society's interest in history and memory focuses on library preservation policies and practices. Topics include technology and electronic information taking precedence over printed material; changes in museums; fears about cultural change and loss; negative impacts of new technologies; public opinion about the role of libraries; and…

Discusses the role of public libraries in helping their communities deal with crisis situations, especially after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Highlights include the need to be proactive and not wait to be asked to participate in planning; status of emergency planning; providing reliable information; and asking users about their information…

Describes the four priorities of Ernest Boyer's "Basic School": the school as community; climate for learning; a curriculum with coherence; and a commitment to character. Suggests that the Basic School framework and the principles of "Information Power" are mutually supportive in developing a learning community characterized by…

A "professor librarian" at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Cortland discusses the origins of her dual role; evolving and morphing roles; technology instruction in library education; reasons that librarians make ideal teachers of computer applications; problems with and benefits of the librarian as professor; and future…

Reviews the profiles of a typical public library, the Redondo Beach Public Library (California), and its nearby community college library, the Schauerman Library at El Camino College in Torrance, California. Discusses similarities between staff in public and academic libraries; differences between the two environments; and like missions of both…

Presents a brief overview of the sociological forces shaping the discourse of disability; examines the part that public libraries have played, or failed to play, in addressing issues of exclusion as they relate to people with disabilities. Focuses on Australia's deaf community and its particular informational needs. The low impact of the…

Teacher-librarians are awash in data. Studies on the impact of school library programs on student achievement have now been replicated in 12 states (more are in the works) with amazingly consistent results, these are added to studies dating from the early 1960s that support the importance of school library programs to student achievement and the…

In March 2003, a total of 394 media specialists throughout the state of Kentucky completed an online survey regarding the professional development needs. The public relations subcommittee of the Kentucky School Media Association Board of directors generated the questions and collected data from the three parts of the survey-demographics,…

Georgia's Choice/America's Choice (GC/AC) is a school reform model, which was adopted in approximately 160 schools across the state to focus on student work and achievement, to align the instructional process and to place emphasis on results. Library Media Specialists (LMSs) are important to school community's spirit of acceptance and should serve…

Calls for proper assessment of students' abilities are on the rise in the U.S. and the No Child Left Behind Act is one example of the efforts undertaken at the state and national level. The role of library media specialists in the authentic assessment of students where they perform tasks that demonstrate their grasp of essential knowledge and…