Despite the recent interest in studying American education and remedying its problems, school libraries and media centers have been neglected in analyses of educational assessment and as instruments for educational improvement. Although statistics have been gathered on the number of books owned, information is also needed about the collection's…

Examines the need for and uses of statistical data about school library media centers; describes data currently collected by the states; discusses national data collection efforts, including an increasing emphasis on output measures; recommends further actions that should be taken; and suggests future possibilities. (six references) (LRW)

Describes monthly reports that were developed by middle school librarians to keep school administrators aware of the library's role in students' education. Categories in the reports include curriculum connection, committee and school involvement, reading incentives and public relations projects, special projects, and vital statistics. (LRW)

Discusses how public relations can help make library media specialists and programs more visible and gives examples from a middle school library media center. Topics include monthly memos to school principals, including statistics; suggesting lesson plan ideas to teachers; attending department meetings; and helping out with routine school tasks.…

Seventeen issues of a newsletter on recent library statistics in Colorado highlight the following topics: the role of academic and public libraries in distance education; measures taken by public libraries with mill levies to exempt their income/expenditures from restrictions; after-school operations in library media centers; library media…

Discussion of cuts in school library media specialist positions focuses on practices that need to change. Highlights include operating in isolation rather than being integrated into the school; isolated traditional library skills rather than integrated information literacy; unhelpful statistics; protecting resources rather than sharing them; lack…

Reports on a study that provides evidence of the positive impact of library media centers on academic achievement in 221 Colorado public schools during the 1988-89 school year. The importance of library media expenditures in making staff and collections available and the library media specialist's instructional role are verified. (two references)…

This statistical analysis report from the National Center for Education Statistics examines the current state of school libraries in the United States and how they have changed. The primary source of data in this report is the 1993-94 Library Survey, the first federally sponsored survey of library media centers and head librarians in elementary…

The first part of a two-part review of research related to school library media collections summarizes studies with implications for budgets and collection size, the selection process, collection policies, and the librarian as censor. A table compares data on holdings and expenditures for schools providing high-level library service with national…

This report presents some of the more significant results of a 1988 survey of all Wisconsin public schools which received responses from 1,790 schools (90%). Designed to determine the status of library media programs in the state's schools, the 12-page survey asked for over 450 pieces of information about the library media center, its staffing,…