To carry out their roles as information providers, instructional consultants, and teachers, school library media professionals must demonstrate competence in at least five specific functions, including communication, collection management, organization, administration, and instructional leadership. Principals need to understand school libraries'…

Describes a study that examined whether school library media specialists engage in self-censorship as part of the collection development process with regard to young adult literature having content that significantly increases the probability that the materials will be challenged. Explains the research method of searching Texas high school OPACs…

This annotated bibliography of library media collection selection sources includes: (1) an annotated bibliography of selection sources; (2) a list of selection tools (in both book and periodical form) for elementary, middle, and secondary schools; (3) a list of bibliographies in specialized subject areas (art; career planning; computers; early…

Presents thought from school library media specialists regarding collection development. Topics include first-year experiences; the importance of cataloging; selection criteria; selection sources; and weeding. (LRW)

Discusses library collection development by school library media specialists and describes selection sources for new books and materials; retrospective selection sources for materials published in preceding years; and an acquisition source. Provides an overview of the selection process and includes 10 suggestions for selection. (LRW)

Presents information on government publications for school library media specialists, notes problems, and identifies selection aids. Topics include: the "Monthly Catalog" on CD-ROM, the Superintendent of Documents Classification System, GPO bookstores and depository libraries, how to purchase and promote the use of government…

Describes a public library service that offers booktalks to middle school students in their classrooms and includes two sample booktalks. Discusses building good relationships with teachers and library media specialists; circulation statistics; ordering enough copies of books for the school and the public library; scheduling booktalks; teen…

Overview of the new guidelines for school library media programs developed cooperatively by the American Association of School Librarians and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology reviews issues such as information studies curriculum, planning, media specialist roles, personnel, and information resources. (MES)

Describes the challenges of evaluating information faced by school library media specialists. Discusses the basic process of evaluation. Describes components of the evaluation process and several factors inherent in evaluation contexts. Presents recommendations for practice based on the summarized research. (AEF)

Suggests that library media specialists can shape their role as instructional consultants by using successful survival strategies, such as those presented in "Information Power." Strategies discussed include participation in curriculum development, cooperative collection development, and the integration of the media specialist's role as…

Proposes that librarians and teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) form partnerships, and describes roles and suggested activities of librarians and teachers in such a partnership. ESL collection development is discussed, covering funding, selection, foreign language materials, nonprint materials, and the professional collection. (11…

Noting that a deep concern about the suppression of ideas in the public schools of the United States is very much a part of the collective consciousness of the school library profession, the implications of intellectual freedom for school library personnel and for library collection development are explored. The position of the school library in…

Lists 100 sources useful to school library media specialists to help identify important materials for children, including books, multicultural materials, nonprint materials, and special features; and for young adults in the areas of books, multicultural materials, nonprint materials, periodicals, reference books and electronic sources, and special…

Library media specialists are critically positioned to make a significant contribution to instituting gender-fair practices within a school. This article discusses instructional materials, curriculum, and collection development; gender culture and the media center; sports, gender, and different ways of knowing; and science, gender, and different…

Discussion of the responsibility of school library media specialists for collection development and management focuses on the need to include materials on women's studies. Highlights include justifying collection expenditures; collection development guidelines; identifying relevant materials by genre; and the media specialists' curricular role.…