School libraries remain a hallmark of society. They are places where all students are welcome to use the abundant resources available to them to research topics for class study or explore ideas about which they are curious. At some school libraries it is also a place where students meet with military recruiters, sit for college interviews,…

This article describes the partnership between Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and the Nashville Public Library (NPL) called Limitless Libraries. Through this resource-sharing partnership, learners can access the NPL collection, connecting them to books and other materials outside the walls of their schools. This breaks down barriers to…

School and public librarians both strive to offer resources and services to their communities, often with limited budgets. School and public libraries offer different business hours, diverse resources, different online databases, unique facilities and makerspaces, and varying services. Both also collect materials and provide programming for many…

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Standards are an invitation to explore the endless possibilities of "why." The standards provide permission to take risks, to step beyond the comfort of four walls to truly stretch and grow. The AASL Standards provide a common language for school library stakeholders that bring into…

Students look to their school library to find new books, seek information, creatively solve problems, and use technology. School libraries play an essential role in students' academic growth and development of lifelong learning skills. All of the wonderful resources and services that school libraries provide are easily accessible to the population…

The joint-use library is a place where people of all ages, interests, and income levels can find items of interest at no personal cost. The mission of A. H. Meadows Public and High School Library in Midlothian, Texas, is to offer what other public libraries provide: educational and entertainment resources to a community. Yet, the staff also wants…

Matthew Lighthart and Creedence Spreder, librarians, describe a partnership that proved successful for the school and library in their community of Pungo, nestled in Virginia Beach's vast but sparsely populated agricultural center. This community was facing a dual challenge: their only elementary school (Creeds) was in dire need of renovation and…

When secondary school librarians teach students digital life literacies, they help students perceive that librarians can provide support for real-life problems. The more librarians work with students, create inviting library environments, and have positive engagements with students, the more they change student perceptions of librarians in…

In this article, the author shares her experience during her practicum for her master's in library science wherein she had the opportunity to work in a school library that was moving toward combining with a local branch of a public library. Combining the public and school libraries meant integrating these two related yet distinct missions, or at…

In these closing remarks, the First Lady thanks the speakers and presenters at the White House Conference on School Libraries and announces the formation of, as well as major gifts to, the Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries, which aims to bring books to inner-city and rural school and community libraries. (MES)

Discussion of collaboration between classroom teachers and school library media specialists focuses on programs at an elementary school in the Katy Independent School District (Texas). Topics include knowing the faculty; knowing the curriculum; providing needed materials and services; cooperation with public librarians; and recognition of shared…

Presents findings of a study that examined the impact of a model urban library system in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) on children's literacy development, particularly for poor, minority families, and its relation to reading achievement. It is concluded that libraries are vital for children's achievement and developing informational needs. (MES)