Defines four roles that media specialists should assume in the management of students with learning differences. These include disseminating information to classroom teachers and parents about diagnosing/managing students with learning differences, collaborating with colleagues in educational-technology selection, working one-on-one with students,…

Discusses the impact of block scheduling on secondary school library media centers. Topics include the need for more resources to support larger class groups, library networking to meet information needs, planning with teachers, impact on library staff, impact on teachers and students, and the need for flexibility. (LRW)

Discusses new roles for school librarians as electronic access to information increases, including instructional partners with classroom teachers; information specialists; Internet navigators; evaluators of information found on the Internet; program administrators; staff developers; and parent Internet educators. Lists pertinent Web sites. (LRW)

Describes a program developed at Winona Middle School (Minnesota) to integrate the state standard for information literacy into the curriculum. Explains the role of the school library media specialist and discusses the final product which is a student portfolio, a HyperStudio multimedia presentation that incorporates the newly acquired skills.…

Reports the results of three statewide studies in Alaska, Colorado, and Pennsylvania, which show that a school library media program with a full-time library media specialist, support staff, and a strong computer network leads to higher student achievement as evidenced on standardized achievement tests. (LRW)

Discusses the role of the school library media specialist in student assessment. Topics include guidelines in "Information Power" (1998, American Library Association); formative and summative assessment; the role of classroom teachers and students; collaboration between teachers and media specialists; and the evaluation of…

Presents results of a survey of 22 Australian libraries aimed at highlighting the common nature, responsibilities, philosophies, and structural factors identified with the term "Children's Librarian." Provides a Children's Librarian profile, and discusses parameters of the specialist position; range of operations; range of skills; vision…

Discussion of Web-based learning environments and asynchronous learning networks for on-campus and distance education focuses on the role of academic libraries. Topics include library involvement in courseware development decisions, integration with library systems, and librarian attitudes and observations compared to those of faculty. (Contains…

Describes roles libraries play in battling illiteracy, and the need for schools to adopt some of these practices. Uses as examples the efforts of one children's librarian. Discusses interaction in storytelling; obstacles students face in learning to read; picture books and visual storytelling; parental involvement; adult literacy programs; and the…

Discussion of measuring and improving the quality of library public services focuses on a method for quantifying and categorizing patrons' comments from a questionnaire developed at the College of Charleston (South Carolina) library. Topics include Total Quality Management, measures of user perceptions, and defining the service role of libraries.…

Considers the role of academic librarians in shaping the future of scholarly communication. Highlights include rising costs of serials; the role of faculty, specifically in scientific fields; projects involving digital access to scholarly journals; and the library as publisher, based on experiences at the University of Arizona. (LRW)

The Public Library Association (PLA) partnered with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to develop research-based tools for parents to prepare children for reading. Inherent in the materials is the major role of the public library in formation of readers. Outlines goals and activities (2001-2002) of the PLA/ALSC…

Argues that librarians should actively accept their responsibility to ensure and provide useful content to the general Internet public. Discusses change brought on by electric commerce and the need for librarians to fill traditional roles, as well as new roles in providing and encouraging Web usage by the public. (AEF)

Discusses the role of librarians in not only providing but also creating resources to fit users' information needs and describes the development of a Web-based statistical abstract called "Colorado by the Numbers" that was developed at the University of Colorado at Boulder library to provide state socioeconomic data. (LRW)

Presents findings from surveys of 226 7th- to 10th-graders who spent the 1998 summer at Duke University. Results are discussed as answers to questions: What do students really do online? How much do they use the Web? How do they find things? How do they judge sites? What do students want from librarians? (AEF)