Academic libraries, apart from their main function, which is to provide information services to academic communities, may also perform a number of social roles in the broad meaning of the term. Accordingly, they now tend to serve as the third place offering inclusion and animation activities to academic as well as local communities (including…

Looks at the historical development of school librarian training in Canada and Great Britain; examines types of institutions with training programs and program content; compares the librarian's role in the two countries and isolates factors that determined those roles; and highlights recent difficulties, developments, and movement toward consensus…

Compares the philosophy of librarianship in the Soviet Union, where libraries are subordinate to the goals of the Communist party, and Scandinavia, where libraries maintain political neutrality. A brief history of library education in both countries is given and the current state of library education and research is described. (CLB)

School impact media studies indicate that a well-staffed and funded school library media program with a certified school library media specialist (SLMS) positively correlates with increased student achievement. SLMS must have a shared understanding of their roles and responsibilities to positively impact student success. In an effort to determine…

A study of 296 American Library Association members found that although library media specialists (LMS) support the instructional consultant role as stated in the guidelines of Information Power, they lagged in its practice; and LMSs who used flexible scheduling practiced the instructional consultant role more than LMSs who used fixed scheduling.…

Discussion of the role of school libraries focuses on a study in England that monitored secondary school students completing a resource-based learning project. Compared students' use of the school library at four different schools with their use of other information resources, including public libraries and the Internet. (Author/LRW)

Provides an overview of school library development in Great Britain and the United States and discusses five factors that have facilitated or retarded school library development in each country: standards, staffing and certification, government support, rationale for school libraries, and professional organizations. (Author/LRW)

The purpose of this study was to compare library media programs located in Georgia Schools of Excellence, and determine how they contribute to the overall success of their schools' instructional program. The library media specialists surveyed worked in 195 schools that have been selected as Georgia Schools of Excellence from 1984 to 1991. A…

Discusses the importance of fostering learning communities in today's school reform movement and the potential role of the school library media specialist as a leader in building collaborative networks with classroom teachers. Highlights include a comparison of traditional and collaborative models; linking collaboration and leadership; and…

Discusses national standardized testing versus testing reform and provides an overview of the alternative assessment movement and its relationship to the school library media specialist. Highlights include criticisms of standardized testing; theoretical assumptions for alternative assessment; research and practice related to specific alternative…

A secondary school librarian uses her experience to compare Canadian and Australian secondary school libraries in terms of educational philosophy, library role, staffing, budgets, resources, and library organization. (CLB)

Explores the roles of junior and senior high school media specialists, noting differences in goals and teaching functions. Topics discussed the Regents Action Plan, interaction between junior and senior high school library media specialists, teaching functions and tactics, and the book habit/information habit. (CLB)

Describes results of a research study that used work sampling techniques to compare time spent by 9 high school library media specialists using automated circulation systems with 9 high school media specialists using nonautomated circulation systems in 14 task categories. Two responses to the research study are included. (26 references) (LRW)

Three articles addressing importance of school libraries include evaluation of 65 programs in Calgary, Canada; comparative study of school librarian attitudes in 10 countries; and statement concerning British Columbia school libraries. Bibliography on cable television for librarians is included. (Dyad Services, PO Box 4696, Station D, London,…

Describes a study that attempted to determine the effects of fixed versus flexible scheduling on the curriculum involvement of elementary school library media specialists and on the curricular integration of library skills. Teachers' planning styles are discussed, and recommendations for further studies are suggested. (10 references) (LRW)