This article presents and discusses a 3-D online environment known as Teen Second Life. TSL is a virtual environment geared just for youth, ages 13-17. Its social appeal is huge, especially for teens who are developmentally inclined to seek out the company of their peers. In TSL one can meet friends or make new ones, hang out, listen to music and…

Describes how family literacy programs help increase adult literacy levels, broaden reading skills for children, and foster good reading habits for all family members. The recipients of Bell Atlantic/American Library Association Family Literacy Project grants are listed, their programs are summarized, and 11 clues that can help determine a…

The Junior Grade Books (JGB) Reading and Discussion program conducted in public libraries and classrooms is described. The purpose of the program is to improve reading comprehension skills while introducing readers to literary classics. The training of program leaders and how to organize a JGB group are also discussed. (JPF)

To introduce the resources of the public library to young adults, librarians in the Hollywood branches of the Los Angeles Public Library initiated an outreached program called STEP: Special Interest Group, Think Big, Esprit de Corps, and Publicity. Program components are described, and 17 steps are enumerated for implementation. (JPF)

Students at Middletown High School are not turning to Google as their main source of information. Cecelia Freda, Middletown's head librarian, was responsible for making sure that students learn the basics of research. Before Freda's arrival at Middletown, most of the school's students were clueless about anything having to do with library. Now,…

Students at Gill St. Bernard's are introduced to guided inquiry as soon as they enter either the middle or upper school. It's the job of the research librarian, to guide younger students along the path to information literacy, the ability to locate, evaluate, and use needed information. The research librarian meets seventh and eighth graders twice…

This article profiles Eric Langhorst, an eighth-grade history teacher at South Valley Junior High School in Liberty, Missouri, who has immersed himself in technology. There is a regular series of podcasts called "Speaking of History," which Langhorst records and posts on his blog (speakingofhistory.blogspot.com). That is in addition to…

Identifies six areas of children's librarianship that need attention: definition of the role of children's librarians; clarification of the goals and worth of children's services; an improved professional image; determination of the appropriate education to enable librarians to meet changed circumstances; and a better understanding of what…

This description of the winner of the 1980 School Library Media Program of the Year award discusses the decentralized approach being taken by the Irvine United School District's library media program, as well as the district's library media projects, goals, and facilities. (CMV)