Access to information is an essential art of the educational system. The reality is, however, that there are laws and policies in effect that can restrict what information is available to students and teachers in K-12 schools. Selection policies, Acceptable Use Policies, Circulation Policies, as well as federal laws and acts, all place…

School media specialists collaborate with many teachers every day. They are so good that sometimes they even collaborate without realizing it. Sometimes, however, a more formal type of collaboration is needed. Not only does formal collaboration give them a chance to shine as the instructional leader, it also allows them to collect data to show…

Library media specialists make it a point to be sure their students and parents know they are responsible for the books and other materials that they borrow from the library media centers. In her K-2 library media center, the author sends friendly letters home at the beginning of the school term informing the parents that they and their child are…

As one natural disaster after another seemed to define the year 2005, library workers across the nation generously donated money, materials, and labor to help victims and damaged institutions recover. Some librarians donated to specific institutions, while others donated to more general charities. Many worried about media reports of fraudulent…

When budgets are especially tight, librarians often do not have the spare time for innovation, yet these conditions require the most creativity. This article describes how to set up a once-a-week Library Club that meets during the lunch hour. Since many schools have multiple lunch hours, materials can be set up for two or three lunch times at…

Every class needs at least one certified Fact Finder. Most classes have at least one student who is years ahead of the class in reading ability and intellectual curiosity. The teacher and the library media specialist can identify one or more of these students in each class who might be delighted to become a certified Fact Finder. Fact Finders…

With the new state requirements, many library media specialist students will be required to complete an internship that is more like the traditional student-teaching program. To obtain certification, in addition to their coursework, they may have to complete over 300 hours in a library media center classroom setting. For many students, especially…

Library media specialists should gain the basic understanding of the primary sources like old letters, photographs, and artifacts, which would encourage students to explore and widen their understanding of history, culture and human experiences. The library media specialists constantly matches the resources with the informational needs of the…

A book sitting out on a shelf for display is worth 10 book jackets hanging on a bulletin board. Circulation increases when students can actually handle the book and look inside its covers.

New library media specialists (LMS) are special people, who are eager for the world of library science. Stepping into a job of LMS requires courage and tenacity, and most of the librarians state that the most difficult in the first year are time and relationship.

Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. Some of the few strategies that could be adopted for instilling the school's information literacy programming with killer applications such as Public…

Engaging students and teachers in middle school media center programs is often challenging. By the time students enter middle school, they often feel that they are "too old" for media center activities. The challenge for media specialists is to find meaningful ways to make lifelong readers out of kids who would rather do anything but read. A good…

Although more commonly associated with elementary school rather than high school students, "Read Across America" celebrations can cater to any age group and generate enthusiasm for reading long after the festivities have ended. In this article, the authors, library media specialists at Washington Township High School in Sewell, New Jersey, share …

Today many authors and artists adapt works of classic literature into a medium more "user friendly" to the increasingly visual student population. Stefan Petrucha and Kody Chamberlain's version of "Beowulf" is one example. The graphic novel captures the entire epic in arresting images and contrasts the darkness of the setting and characters with…

What is the relative importance of current and emerging technologies in school library media programs? In order to answer this question, in Fall 2007 the authors administered a survey to 1,053 school library media specialists (SLMSs) throughout the state of Pennsylvania. As a part of the MSLS degree with Library Science K-12 certification, Clarion…