If digital literacy is exploding, the visually disabled are taking the shrapnel. The author wagers that most librarians consider themselves committed to accessibility and make individual and organizational efforts to comply with (and often exceed) the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in their buildings and the Rehabilitation Act Section 508…

The history of patron access microcomputers in libraries is described as carrying on a tradition that information and computer power should be shared. Questions that all types of libraries need to ask in planning microcomputer centers are considered and several model centers are described. (EM)

Discusses the special needs of librarians as microcomputer users, and advocates the development of user groups of librarians to provide basic training and expertise in library applications of microcomputers. The Purdue University Libraries Users Group and its services to librarians are described as a model of such a group. (CLB)

This column lists and defines several sets of selected terms that may better help any educator communicate with the digital-savvy student clientele. Terms were gathered from the sources listed in "Further Reading" and confirmed among three online professors at Indiana University/Purdue University at Indianapolis. The sample terms are clustered by…

Illustrates how the "Big Six Skills" model of information problem solving (Task Definition, Information Seeking Strategies, Location and Access, Use of Information, Synthesis, and Evaluation) is a perfect match to the influx of technology in student research. Outlines two typical assignments that focus the Big Six perspective on the…

Better understanding the attitude and behaviors of students using the Internet for school work can provide valuable insight for today's school librarian. The Pew Internet & American Life Project conducted a qualitative study of Internet-using public middle and high school students drawn from across the country ranging from 12 to 17 years of age.…

Stresses the importance of teaching the skills necessary for students to understand computer communications, including microcomputer and remote computer commands; how to get information from human resources through a bulletin board service or information utility; and keyword searching and Boolean logic. (EM)

This packet of materials is introduced by a report describing the prescriptive, student-centered library media program developed for and implemented in the Tarrant Elementary School in Birmingham, Alabama, in the early 1980s. This report covers the goals and objectives of the program, which are based on four key functions of design, consultation,…

Discusses 13 roles or services proposed by Costa and Costa in "A Micro Handbook for Small Libraries and Media Centers" (1983) that media specialists should consider in relation to educational computing. Current applications of microcomputers by media specialists in a public school and a private school in Hawaii are described. (MBR)

Reviews current thinking on microcomputer hardware and software selection; outlines several ways in which microcomputers may be used in media centers (inventory, circulation, telecomputing, word processing, decision making, computing literacy, recreation); and identifies some commercially available software which fulfills the need of specified…

This book is a collection of "success stories" written by teachers, media specialists, and school administrators who have developed their own facilities to bring the Internet to their students. The book's four main parts parallel the stages educators progress through when incorporating the Internet into the instructional process. Part 1,…

Two activities were undertaken for this examination of the growing potential of school library media programs to promote the development of higher levels of information literacy in college-bound students. First, visits were made to 30 high schools in Massachusetts which differed in their library programs as well as in a wide range of quantitative…

This book is designed as an introduction to the Internet and World Wide Web for teachers and school library media specialists. The book helps educators learn about the Internet and assists them in taking the lead in technology in their school. Librarians have a vested interest in learning about the Internet and its wealth of resources. As a…

This article reports on two academic courses related to visual literacy: Videology and the Internet. The two projects are examples of how young learners can be educated and prepared for a visual world via courses in visual literacy. The article provides an overview of the impact of television on American society, describes each project, discusses…