Describes a study of African library schools which was undertaken to determine number of teachers; teacher qualifications, experience, and other major characteristics; staffing adequacy; areas of discipline in which additional teachers are needed; and whether recruiting and other institution policies facilitate filling vacancies with suitable…

British and American information science textbooks present keyword and controlled vocabulary searching in different ways, and put differing emphases on the use of variant spellings and word variations. This reflects the differing ways that information professionals prepare online search strategies. Differences may reflect occupational trends,…

The topics covered in three articles about education for the information professional include suggested educational reforms to establish academic excellence in library schools; the broad categories of information related programs; accreditation and curriculum guidelines suggested by professional organizations; and a model for the adoption of…

Describes a survey that asked 45 library school faculty to identify the criteria that characterize high quality masters programs. The findings discussed include differences in opinions of faculty in doctoral and non-doctoral granting schools, and attitudes toward teaching quality and responsiveness to current issues as appropriate criteria. (13…

Presents results of the 1991 placement survey of accredited library schools. Highlights include status of graduates; placements by type of library; full-time salaries of graduates; comparison of salaries by type of library; women's salaries; institutional data and trends; and a sidebar that relates the experiences of one recent graduate. (LRW)

Discussion of reference service in a changing information environment focuses on a survey of basic reference courses in American Library Association (ALA) accredited programs that was conducted to investigate how library school students are being educated for reference service. Highlights include course content; teaching methods; learning…

Discussion of complaints about library education covers historical perspectives as well as current trends. Topics discussed include library school closings; curriculum; skills and knowledge employers want recent graduates to have; American Library Association (ALA) standards; student perspectives; university views of library schools and faculty;…

Examines how informetric characteristics of information retrieval (IR) system databases can be used to help system designers decide what type of file structures would provide the best performance. The development of appropriate models describing database contents is highlighted in this first part of a two-part study. (30 references) (LRW)

With school budgets shrinking every year, tough decisions are made by those powers that be, and you very well may be the next RIF (reduction in force) waiting to happen. Sadly, those school librarians who have stopped learning, who have become stale in their role as librarian, or who feel the newer tools and ways of doing the job are not necessary…

In a world where the Florida Department of Education is in the process of committing to providing all K-12 content digitally by 2015, and where online education is increasing exponentially, schools are changing and so must school libraries and school librarians. Clearly, these are interesting times for all aspects of education. A variety of…

The teacher-librarian should be the most effective weapon for collaborative teaching and learning within a school. Teacher-librarians do struggle to find time to effectively plan for the cooperative teaching and learning activities. Often school libraries run their own website as they struggle to offer a digital 24/7 library service for its users.…

Turning students into lifelong learners is not easily accomplished. How do school librarians ensure that students have a zeal for learning? How do they encourage, cajole, or entice students to want to learn? The answer lies in empowering students with the skills they need to enjoy researching as well as reading for information and pleasure. This…

Over breakfast at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference, this author was asked, "What is authority? What does one know about the ways in which he/she determines credibility? Whom do you trust?" In this article, the author focuses on these questions in terms of administrators who have control over libraries. She provides a…

Web 2.0 applications are changing how educators interact both with each other and with their students. Educators can use these new Web tools daily to create, share, socialize, and collaborate with students, colleagues, and newly developed network contacts. School librarians are finding that Web 2.0 tools are bringing them more ways to embrace and…

A study of 148 primary school teachers and 4867 Grade 4 pupils in Hong Kong found no support for the proposal that boys learn to read better when taught by men teachers. In fact, it was found that both boys and girls learnt better when taught by women. Responses to a teacher questionnaire indicate significant differences in the preferred patterns…