School librarians need evaluation forms that fit their unique roles and responsibilities and acknowledge both the similarities and differences between classroom teachers and school librarians. The incorporation of American Association of School Librarians' (AASL's) "Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs"--a resource that sets…

Web-based presentation tools are sometimes referred to as "next generation presentation tools" (EDUCAUSE, 2010). At the most basic level, these tools are simply online versions of traditional presentation software, such as Microsoft's PowerPoint or Apple's Keynote, but some services offer features like web-based collaboration, online presentation…

Evaluation is important. As the sea of information grows ever larger, educators must be able to teach their students to evaluate what they find and decide its relevance and accuracy. In the American Association of School Librarians' publication "Standards for the 21st Century Learner," evaluation is a skill (1.1.4, 1.1.5), a disposition in action…

The recent recession, school budget cuts, and predictions of school libraries' demise because of technology advances put pressure on school librarians to prove the utility, relevance, and value of school libraries to student learning. While national studies document that school libraries increase student achievement, school librarians must…

During this time of economic crisis and the projected budget cuts in education, it is more important than ever to justify one's position as a critical element in the school. One excellent way to document the need for a full-time, certified media specialist in the school is through a portfolio. Maintaining a portfolio is cheap and fairly easy,…

This article is based on a series of lessons prepared for a class of third graders who were going to research specific planets. With so many Web sites on the Internet, there is a need to be concerned about information overload for the audience. The NASA site (www.nasa.gov) is filled with lots of sites providing factual information about the…

Describes the evaluation of school librarians in Australia, including who should do the evaluating and reasons for evaluation. Questions the accuracy of perceptions of the librarian's role by some evaluators and presents a model for evaluating the library evaluators to encourage administrative support for the library. (LRW)

Principals should change their traditional evaluating methods while evaluating the library media specialists who also have to serve as a teacher or assume other additional responsibilities and adopt evaluation methods similar to those used for teachers. The "prep" period librarians provide a way to continue the method of instructing students in…

Discusses ways to evaluate school library media programs and how to demonstrate quality. Topics include how principals evaluate programs; sources of evaluative data; national, state, and local instruments; surveys and interviews; Colorado benchmarks; evaluating the use of electronic resources; and computer reporting options. (LRW)

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…

Explains certification in library media by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Topics include candidate qualifications, including at least three years of experience; links between the media specialist, library media standards, accomplishments, and student achievement; assessments, including portfolio development; scheduling for…

Discusses the use of electronic portfolios by school library media specialists for professional development as a resume, an evaluation instrument, or other types of credential documentation. Includes guidelines for building a successful portfolio, including appropriate software selection; audience considerations; and technology skill…