Parents should evaluate the libraries in the schools their children attend, because education suffers when library services are minimal and information is outdated. The article lists several issues to which parents should pay close attention when evaluating their children's school libraries. (SM)

Discusses the need for more adequate materials and personnel in school libraries and describes provisions of the proposed Elementary and Secondary School Library Media Act. Sidebars include views of the bill by the American Library Association (ALA) and instructions on writing to senators and representatives to encourage support for the bill. (LRW)

Explains the E-rate as discounts provided by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that are available to schools, libraries, and rural health care providers on telecommunications services. Lists E-rate resources including Web sites, FCC and Department of Education sites, and Listserv discussion groups. (LRW)

Explores how a new school facility can be important, not only as a community center, but also as a resource center for library services such as computer labs, Internet service, and current periodicals. The article also examines how one Missouri school district planned its new school library to serve the community. (GR)

Presents 12 winners of the Council of Educational Facility Planners, International award for school designs that include prototype schools, school libraries, and community colleges. Photos, floor plans, and project data and school statistics are included. (GR)

School library media specialists from all grade levels have embarked on the path toward certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Discusses some background to the NBPTS and who the current candidates are. A sidebar presents a brief explanation of each of 13 dimensions of teaching expertise. (AEF)

Presents tips for media specialists attending conferences, with a focus on the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Ninth National Conference and Exhibition. Highlights include listing vendors and products, arriving at author signing booths early, taking a methodical tour of the exhibit hall after visiting the "must-see"…

Reviews research related to school library media programs from various sites and databases, including the ERIC database. Useful research resources include dissertation abstracts, Web sites, journals and proceedings, and dissertations and theses. (LRW)

This annotated list of electronic resources suggests materials for selecting and using children's literature. Highlights include children's classics, beginning reader lists, lists by genre and/or grade level, multicultural booklists, annual lists of noted children's literature, children's book awards, extending children's literature, book…

Past research has indicated that children become active learners by "active play" which may include board games. In this article, the author describes how the use of games in school libraries may make children more responsive to the school library media center. Games encourage teamwork and creativity, and experts believe that children retain…

This article reviews the new Grolier Student Encyclopedia, intended for grades three through eight. Good middle-level readers might become frustrated with this source, but primary and intermediate students, middle-level students reading below grade level, and English language learners of any age will find the style of information presentation…

Information literacy standards for student learning, indicators for student performance, and hundreds of collaborative lesson plans around the country give some indication of the skills students are expected to master as effective and efficient users of information. Hopefully the goal is that all involved in information literacy education become…

Stories speak to people in different ways. Yet it is the person behind the story who pushes the literature into a malleable body of imaginative possibilities. Author visits transform quiet written words from a private exchange between reader and author into a lively community discussion. North Country School, in northern New York, sits in the…

This brief article responds to the research finding that effective school libraries have clear roles focused on student achievement. Based on recent research findings, Ross Todd, Carol Kuhlthau and an Ohio team concluded that eight characteristics can be used to place a stronger emphasis on learning. The characteristics include: (1) Resource…

Technostress--the challenge of keeping up with changing technology--has been one of the few constants in professional lives for the past 30 or more years. In this paper, the author addresses what constitutes "best practices" for keeping up with rapidly changing technology.