In this article, the author talks about the school librarian as information specialist. She stresses that the school librarian's information specialist role is more important than ever. She offers her personal toolkit that consists of four strategies in helping and teaching students to use content responsibly.

This article presents an interview with Terry Pratchett, one of the world's most beloved storytellers. And with sales of more than 65 million books in 37 languages, he's indisputably one of the most successful. The English novelist's many honors include a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth, more than a half dozen honorary doctorates, and the 2008…

This article presents an interview with Joyce Karon, a former school librarian, district coordinator, and former member of the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Board of Higher Education. She is currently a member of the Illinois P-20 Council and has always been a passionate advocate for school libraries. In this interview, Karon…

All librarians, even those working one job, can become victims of burnout. Burnout can occur throughout the course of any career, and can pose a serious threat. On a daily basis, librarians help patrons fight their way through a haze of misinformation and disinformation. A good librarian is always on the ready, shifting gears from MLA source…

This article outlines an integrated STEAM project based on "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate (2012). Elementary students focused on real-world, authentic problems presented in this 2013 Newbery Award-winning novel. The novel deals with difficult issues such as the humane treatment of animals, and has a powerful message of…

To understand and share the feelings of students one must see the world through their lens. Empathic design includes aspects of empathy and offers a means for a practical application of the concept by encouraging organizations to put themselves into the shoes or situation of their users so as to better understand users' needs. Program evaluation…

It is no secret that since the fall of 2008, fiscal managers have been making tough decisions. The trend is consistent among economic sectors, including education. In their efforts to stem budget shortfalls, school administrators and business managers are cutting programs and eliminating teachers. School librarians in particular are struggling in…

This qualitative content analysis presents subscription databases available to school libraries through statewide purchases. The results may help school librarians evaluate grade and subject-area coverage, make comparisons to recommended databases, and note potential suggestions for their states to include in future contracts or for local…

Digital libraries and collections are a growing facet of today's traditional library. Digital library technologies have become increasingly more sophisticated in the effort to provide more and better access to the collections they contain. The evaluation of the usability of these technologies has not kept pace with technological developments,…

Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop directed the five trustees of her estate to erect a school for Hawaiian children (Bishop 1883). Her wish was to improve the capability and well being of her people through education, and to provide an environment where each would have an opportunity to practice and perpetuate Hawaiian values and traditions. In 2008…

This article reports on the quantitative research survey findings regarding the challenges related to the teaching and learning resources affecting small and medium sized public secondary schools in Kenya. The aim of this study is to investigate the secondary school principals' views on the teaching and learning resources related challenges facing…

In comments submitted April 7, 2014, the Alliance for Excellent Education called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to modernize the federal E-rate program in order to lay the foundation for expanding the program through increased funding. These comments are in response to an E-rate Public Notice issued by the FCC on March 6, 2014…

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of high school librarians related to use of online environments to provide instructional support. The study sought to discover influences on the types of online instructional support provided by high school librarians. Inquiry focused on the participant librarians' perceptions of…

Since librarianship is making available and exploiting information for the benefit of people, librarians must know about information resources, about people, and about systems for linking resources and people. They need (1) basic abilities--literacy and numeracy; (2) organizational qualities, including vision, a questioning approach, perspective,…

Research tells us that reading is correlated to academic achievement but how do we motivate students to read? How can schools build reading cultures? Through the case study of a government secondary school in Singapore, I examine how attention to the invisible network of resources that support reading can provide insight into students' resources…