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)

Describes the current status of libraries in secondary schools in Greece. The Greek educational system is explained; school library legislation is discussed as it relates to users, professional and nonprofessional staff, funding, and book selection; and recommendations for the improvement of school libraries are suggested. (12 references) (LRW)

Describes a survey of West Texas elementary schools that examined the amount of time media specialists spend teaching. The findings indicate that the scheduling issue is secondary to the fact that many schools share or do not have a certified library media specialist. The reasons for this situation and recommendations for improvement are…

Discussion of public librarians' salaries examines data on: (1) salary progression from 1978 to 1987; (2) public librarians' salaries compared with salaries of librarians in other positions; (3) public librarians' salaries compared with increases in the Consumer Price Index since 1978; and (4) salaries earned in other fields. (19 references) (MES)

Describes recent advances in technology that have had a significant impact on library media programs and predicts possible future developments. It is argued that library media programs should profit from this technology without being overwhelmed by technological concerns, and strategies for obtaining this objective are suggested. (CLB)

Excerpt from a planning guide to be used with 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 offers guidance in communicating the purposes of the planning process, outlining a timeline, and determining…

Despite the importance of school libraries' and media centers' role in applying new technologies and developing innovative teaching methods, the 1990-91 Schools and Staffing Survey data show a mixed picture of these facilities' staff resources. Libraries are in most U.S. public and private schools, but are understaffed, particularly in smaller…

Presents a list of 26 books, 3 journal articles, and 7 ERIC resources on diversity and multiculturalism that can be used by media specialists and shared with teachers. (LRW)

Discusses the lack of literature relating to cultural differences and school library media programs and reviews the book "Beyond Culture" by Edward T. Hall. Highlights include the population/environment crisis, cultural literacy, the use of technology, and Marshall McLuhan's idea of the global village. (LRW)

Eight articles discuss ways for school libraries to promote themselves, including innovative uses of bulletin boards and newsletters; ways of coping with budget cuts; maintaining good relationships with administrators, students, and teachers; use of electronic publishing to create newsletters; and capitalizing on the controversy surrounding…

Five articles on the evaluation of school librarians focus on the development of evaluation instruments, evaluation portfolios as evidence of effectiveness, evaluation from the student aide's point of view, and the use of planning and reporting to build program support. Sample evaluation criteria are included together with explanations. (LAE)

Describes the experiences of school librarians with organizing volunteers, assessing the destruction, and recovery and rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Andrew. Information gathering, record keeping, public relations, public service, communication, and organization are highlighted; and the value of storytelling in coping with disaster is…

Reports on the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL), including an overview of organizational history; a review of the 1993 annual conference in Adelaide (Australia); descriptions of professional awards; lists of 1994-97 conference sites and board members; an address to contact for more information about the organization and its…

Establishing a partnership between the early childhood educator and the school librarian could ensure that materials appropriate for every child's physical, emotional, social, and cognitive abilities were provided. By cooperating, these two professionals could easily identify learning activities and materials that could be matched to individual…

Describes a research finding about the impact of free voluntary reading in schools (i.e., time set aside for young people to read what they want to read) on reading comprehension, vocabulary development, spelling, written style, oral/aural language, and control of grammar. (KRN)