Libraries provide invaluable services and supports to members of their communities, including school communities. Those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can receive particular benefits from their libraries, including supports in the areas of academics, social skills, communication, technology, literacy, leisure skills, and even employment…

J. Linda Williams was coordinator of school library services for Anne Arundel County Public Schools prior to her retirement. She served as AASL President 2005-2006 and is also a past president of the Maryland Association of School Librarians. Looking back on her 2005-2006 term as AASL President, Williams writes that she feels that particular year…

Since passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), schools are required to educate students with disabilities in the "least restrictive environment" (Hopkins 2005), i.e., to the maximum extent possible with their non-disabled peers (Myhill 2004). School libraries are required to…

Every day in school libraries nationwide, students' privacy rights are under attack, but many principals, teachers, parents, and community members do not know much about these rights. Even though school librarians are among the strongest proponents of privacy, the subject is rarely discussed, probably because state and federal laws can be…

Little research has been conducted examining advocacy efforts in the school library field despite the fact that program advocate is a prominent role for school librarians. One element of advocacy is the engagement in political initiatives that may affect school library programs. This case study investigates the effectiveness of one advocacy effort…

Presentations and discussions held during the 3-day meeting center on the education of librarians to meet the needs of handicapped individuals. The keynote address reviews legislation and agencies dealing with disabled persons, as well as library education on services to the handicapped. Other presentations include a historical review of the…

Like the other industries the United States once dominated, higher education is facing increasing global competition. Any strengthening of K-12 education will strengthen higher education in turn. In this article, the author opines that higher education advocates should also urge Congress to include school libraries and librarians in NCLB when they…

Special and general educators rely on the school library for many reasons, such as the wealth of resources that are used to motivate students and individualize instruction and the fact that many students with disabilities enjoy spending time there (Smith-Canter, Voytecki, Zambone, and Jones 2009). In the June 2009 issue of "School Library…

Many scholarly studies investigating school library services provided to students with special needs primarily address aspects of collaboration with special education (SPED) teachers in an immersed school environment. Scarcely studied are ways that school library programs (SLPs) empower students in schools serving only students with a specific…

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…

American education is failing many students, but especially students of color, from low-income families, with disabilities or those who have limited English proficiency. These students are the focus of "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB), the 2001 revision of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), which was signed into law…

The brief history and background of the Library Association that sponsored the National Library Legislative Day in Washington is outlined. The specific issues, such as ESEA, the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), Copyright, and E-Rate, are discussed.

This article talks about the author's experiences as a school librarian in meeting the accelerating demands for student's learning and achievement. School librarianship has definitely changed in the accelerating school universe since the publication of "Information Power: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs" in 1988. That…

The US Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) launched the Improving Literacy through School Libraries Program at the outset of NCLB. Using competitive project grants, the Literacy through Libraries (LSL) objective is to facilitate the improvement of literacy skills and academic achievement of students by…

This report marks the third release of library statistics data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). It contains data on state library agencies in the 50 states and the District of Columbia for state fiscal year (FY) 2008. The data were collected through the State Library Agencies (StLA) Survey, the product of a cooperative…