Describes an evaluation that provided data regarding the roles of school library media specialists and whether they align with guidelines in "Information Power". Reviewed job descriptions via a listserv; compiled a list of performance responsibilities to develop a model job description; and concluded that a leadership role needs to be…

Suggests titles for elementary school reference collections that are basic adult resources to support teacher's curricular needs and general reference questions that are beyond the scope of most children's reference sources, and which will be used by teachers and by library media specialists rather than by children. (LRW)

Discusses the appropriate use of colors in school libraries. Highlights include how colors affect students' learning and behavior; influences on users' moods; users' ages; the use of colors to bring out the best physical attributes; and the use of color for floor coverings, window treatments, furnishings, and accessories. (LRW)

Discusses marketing techniques for teacher librarians based on six levels: basic assumptions; library resource program, including attitudes for success; school, including a collaborative environment; administration, including program support; community, including awareness; and state and national, including professional participation. (LRW)

Considers the differences in meaning between collaboration and cooperation and suggests methods to help library media specialists collaborate with faculty members. Topics include benefits in co-planning and teaching; barriers to collaboration; encouraging teachers to collaborate; and resources to help plan and teach collaboratively. (LRW)

Discusses the benefits of storytelling by teachers or librarians to elementary and middle school students. Topics include listening; sharing versus performing; finding stories, other than folk tales; guidelines for telling stories; and resources, including print sources and Web sites. (LRW)

Provides a review and listing of literature for K-8 school librarians and teachers that focuses on the geography, history, and culture of Tibet and the diverse experiences and folklore of Tibetans. Includes references, other recommended works, and an annotated bibliography divided into folklore, biography, culture and history, fiction, videos, and…

Offers suggestions for a successful volunteer program in a school setting. Topics include recruitment strategies, including advertising for parents, grandparents, other groups, and students; training programs for adult volunteers and for students; how to keep volunteers; how to afford rewards; and helpful resources. (LRW)

In the mid-1990s, educators began exploring ways to make effective use of the vast information resources that were rapidly emerging on the Internet. Rather than using these new Web-based materials for low-level scavenger-hunt types of activities, school library media specialists sought ways to promote higher-order thinking through authentic…

One of the most important policy documents for a school library media center is the selection policy or the collection development policy. A well-developed selection policy provides a rationale for the selection decisions made by the school library media specialist. A selection policy represents the criteria against which a challenged book is…

In the day-to-day operation of a library media center, service is the most important job. A library media specialist is employed to be of service to your students, teachers, administrators, and parents, but according to "Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning," prepared by the American Association of School Librarians, the school…

In this brief article, the author suggests that in this age of accountability, teacher-librarians sometimes become so engulfed by their role in teaching the school curriculum and standards that they forget the power of story. The author stresses, that in her opinion, the power of story is undeniable.

Not convinced that teachers and teacher-librarians were actively suppressing their students' visual literacy, the author decided to conduct informal interviews with four local teacher-librarians (three elementary and one secondary) attending classes at the university where he instructs. All four indicated that though their libraries were rich…

In this article, the author states that as an art teacher, your contribution to your students' knowledge of another culture is to familiarize them with evidence of how a group of people produced visual images in that time and place. You should not claim that they will gain understanding of the culture itself from this experience. One art lesson…

Teenagers' innate interest with the justice system is one of the reasons that so many high school literary classics teem with criminals, controversial issues, and trials. Novels such as "To Kill a Mockingbird," "A Separate Peace," "The Crucible," and "Twelve Angry Men" feature high-impact trials. In the author's desire to tap into this interest,…