The late rapper Tupac Shakur wrote a poem called "The Rose that Grew from Concrete" that serves as a good metaphor for helping educators, including school librarians, to disrupt stereotypical metanarratives they might have about urban youth and replace them with new narratives of hope, compassion, and high expectations for all students. Tupac's…

The explosion of technology and information has resulted in major changes in education in the twenty-first century. School librarians have a vital role to play in efforts to ensure that students are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed and participate in the digital society of the twenty-first century. This role presents an…

School librarians play an important role in developing a technology plan for the school library program that reflects teaching and learning for today's education. The school librarian's leadership in the overall process and the written plan itself can influence future strategies for teaching and learning with technology that can go well…

Universal Design (UD) is widely used in architecture. It is evidenced in public and private spaces to ensure environmental access (facilities and equipment) to the broadest range of users. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a research-based set of principles that provide a practical framework for using technology to maximize learning…

School librarians play numerous roles throughout a day. They are information specialists who keep up with the constant changes in information and technology. It is important for them to keep students up-to-date and teach them to use technology properly. Gaming and technology are both important concepts for 21st-century school librarians to…

In the new AASL "Standards for the 21st-Century Learner," the very first Common Belief is "Reading is a window to the world." School library media specialists have always developed collections of materials (both print and non-print) to hook students in and keep them engaged in reading. They continually promote their collections to both students…

While teacher-librarians embrace the concept of equitable access when they select "multicultural" materials to include in their collections, plan special programs, and teach lessons on a variety of topics, what do they do to make equitable access a part of their online catalogs? Have they achieved (or nearly achieved) a consistent level of…

In this article, the author shares her accomplishments as the 2006-2007 president of the American Association of School Librarians. Many of her accomplishments help fulfill the goals, objectives, and strategies of the AASL strategic plan. These include the sold-out AASL National Institute on assessment, new innovative reading grants, and its…

Despite the media's fascination with the "literacy crisis," there is rarely any mention of the real cause of the problem: Lack of access to books for children of poverty. In this article, the author presents a compelling demonstration of what happens when librarians make sure children have access to interesting reading material: They read! And…

Describes changes brought about by a Library Power initiative at an inner city magnet school in Chattanooga (Tennessee). Highlights include: Library Power beliefs; collaborative planning between the library media specialist and teachers; the new role of the library media specialist as an information specialist, teacher, and instructional…

Addresses the Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds' experiences working with school libraries and the lessons learned from the Library Power initiative, including: how school libraries can support national education goals, particularly in meeting the challenges outlined in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; current threats to library reform; and how…

Profiles cooperative projects developed at elementary schools in the Miami-Dade County Library Power Grant. Discusses the librarian/teacher collaborative planning process. Describes the PEACE (Plan for Excellence in a Collaborative Environment) project which revolves around a multi-leveled, pyramid design for collaborative planning. (AEF)

The shortage of school library media specialists (SLMSs) has accentuated the need for establishing and promoting mentoring programs in K-12 schools. Mentoring programs for SLMSs in two large urban school systems are addressing the needs of new SLMSs. Sample orientation/mentoring program activities are given. (AEF)

School library media specialists (SLMSs) in the Rochester (Michigan) Community Schools decided it was crucial to come to a consensus about key roles of SLMSs in successful school library media programs. They identified the following roles: information specialist, instructional partner, and program administrator. To educate administrators, staff…

A library renovation class was offered to special education and low-income high school students during the summer, including lessons in Dewey Decimal classification, equipment repair and cleaning, and library organization and research skills. Students helped to plan and implement renovation of their school library media center. (MES)