The school library profession has gone through an evolution since its inception in the early 1900s. School librarians hold strong to unwavering core principles that remain true throughout time. Students today are tech-savvy consumers of information. With smartphones and tablets galore at their fingertips, they have access to all the knowledge of…

We compared students from schools with an enriched school library--that is, one with a larger and more up-to-date book collection--with students from schools with a typical school library. We tested effects of an enriched school library on reading motivation, reading frequency, and academic skills. Fourth- and fifth-grade students of 14 schools…

When school librarians retire or move to other positions, they face the uncertainty that the school library programs they have worked tirelessly to develop are at risk. For the school librarian, the development of a library advisory committee (LAC) is a strategic investment of time and energy to develop grassroots support for the library program…

This article describes a process one librarian discovered and implemented as she observed the changing role of the librarian and the library. Frustration was growing due to the gradual erosion of school libraries as they struggled to remain, with electronic books, video streaming, and databases supplanting many of the physical resources in the…

Parents and caregivers can maximize children's engagement with educational television programming by co-viewing and discussing concepts and issues during and following episodes, and parents and caregivers can poach ideas and processes from these programs and apply them to their own interactions with children. School librarians might also consider…

Little research has been conducted examining advocacy efforts in the school library field despite the fact that program advocate is a prominent role for school librarians. One element of advocacy is the engagement in political initiatives that may affect school library programs. This case study investigates the effectiveness of one advocacy effort…

Integration of educational technology in the context of e-books has experienced slow implementation in elementary schools, specifically in early literacy instruction. Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) is a framework for metacognitive reflection on how the learning of subject matter can be facilitated through the use of…

The purpose of this paper is to recommend guidelines for the development of a special collection of materials to support a fifth year master's program in Librarianship. Reasons for the desirability of establishing a separate library school library are stated and some of the factors to consider in the initial and continuing development of the…

Librarians might remember that day, whether it was a month ago or over ten years ago. They may have asked themselves what they needed to know, how they should do it, how they could improve it, and, if change was needed, whether they could effect change with ease or would be met with opposition? Did they go in like lambs and become lions, or learn…

The arts have their place in every facet of a school, and the library is no exception. Thinking beyond traditional definitions, arts education could include teaching creative problem solving as well as continuous questioning of issues and ideas. The media center is the perfect venue to showcase students' efforts in the arts. This article gives…

The school library media center should be a place that every student and teacher feels compelled to visit on a daily basis. Offering good, informative orientations can provide the direction needed to ensure that happens. Orientations should be part of every school library media specialist's job description and role. Orientations can be as long or…

How does one maintain high goals for instruction with dwindling funds? On a district level, the ability to do more with less is just not possible. It is the capability to reposition available resources that achieves critical goals. One way to visualize this concept is to think of a stretched elastic band. When that band is extended, it changes its…

School libraries are crucial to learning, but need resources to close the digital and print divide that widens as school budgets shrink. In this article, the author shares her perspective on stretching the library dollar. As budgets tighten and the use of library resources increases, school librarian's ingenuity, skill, and planning can ensure…

It's not easy being a media specialist, especially if one is new to the profession or one has switched schools and is suddenly the "new kid on the block." This article offers 10 road-tested tips that will help every new media specialist not only survive, but also "thrive": (1) Learn the curriculum; (2) Document! Document! Document! (3) Smile and…

Evaluation of instructional personnel is standard procedure in our Pre-K-12 public schools, and its purpose is to document educator effectiveness. With Race to the Top and No Child Left Behind waivers, states are required to implement performance-based evaluations that demonstrate student academic progress. This three-year study describes the…