In 2010 the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) responded to rapid changes in school libraries by convening the "Wisconsin School Library Summit: Envisioning 21st Century Learners and School Library Media Programs." Summit participants discussed the future of school libraries in Wisconsin. During the summit, several…

During this period of radical change in the field of information technology there is evidence of confusion about the role of school library media specialists in the implementation, and the administration of emerging information technologies in Wisconsin public schools. This study sought to answer the question what is the role of the school library…

If one wants to learn about the role that games play in education, then the University of Wisconsin at Madison is the place to go. It's home to the Games, Learning, and Society Initiative and its current director Dr. Kurt Squire. In this interview, Squire talks about his research and how libraries can embrace gaming as a tool for learning.

Graphic novels are the perfect meeting place of words and pictures and as such offer an excellent way of getting visually-oriented students to read. Teacher-librarians picked up on this a long time ago and have been adding graphic novels to their collection in ever increasing numbers. In this article, the author discusses how teachers and…

Brandon School is a small pre-K through 8th grade school serving approximately 327 students. It does not have the funding that a lot of larger school districts have. When the special needs teacher approached the author a few years ago about high-interest, low-level books and asked for ideas to help her students read more, they came up with the…

School library professionals often complain that their principal or district-level administrators have a poor understanding of the work that they do. Reasons for this are varied and have been well documented in school library literature. The bottom line is that administrators' lack of education regarding the important contributions that the school…

When secondary school librarians teach students digital life literacies, they help students perceive that librarians can provide support for real-life problems. The more librarians work with students, create inviting library environments, and have positive engagements with students, the more they change student perceptions of librarians in…

This spring, the Milwaukee district announced major cuts to local school budgets for next year. At the 400-student elementary school where the author works, the projected cuts meant that, despite a modest increase in student enrollment, they had to cut an additional staff position. Given that in the past few years budget cuts had forced them to…

The well-planned internship program is a promising answer to the problems posed by the dual preparation and practical experience required in school librarianship. (Author)

Wisconsin state library, school library, and public school agencies advise against the consolidation of school and public libraries as a response to budget pressures. Adult library use generally declines under such arrangements. Inequity of support for various geographical areas could result. In addition, legal questions concerning the use of…

Construction and remodeling of libraries should insure that the resulting building be functionally efficient and that it provide an attractive environment for the library user. Providing a list of objectives, space estimations, schematic use diagrams, and a description of the desired atmosphere can assist the architect in designing a building that…

A first attempt to codify interlibrary loan patterns in Wisconsin, these guidelines are the result of an eight month study by a committee representing all types of libraries and geographic areas of the state. An introduction outlines and comments on interlibrary loan responsibilities, operating assumptions, principles, and goals. Comments on a…

This policy based on the principle that all types of libraries and users stand to benefit from increased cooperation was adopted by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction in 1979. The development and support of both formal and informal cooperative arrangements is encouraged as a means to facilitate resource sharing among all schools within…

This report updates a 1979 article from the Wisconsin Library Bulletin about censorship in Wisconsin from 1966 through 1975. Compiled using data from the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF), the report provides information about censorship attempts and actions between 1976 and 1980. From 1966 through 1975, 49 cases…

This booklet has been designed for use in the following areas: (1) As a data collection instrument providing a measure of media program development in the State of Wisconsin. As such, it will be used in conjunction with information from the earlier School Library Survey to provide state-level longitudinal data on school media programs; (2) As a…