Describes the accreditation process for library schools in the United States and Canada that is overseen by the American Library Association (ALA) Committee on Accreditation (COA). Principles of accreditation and standards that are under revision are discussed, and opportunities for participation by the Canadian library community are suggested.…

Presents an abstract of a planned session on teaching knowledge management, including knowledge management for information professionals; differences between teaching knowledge management in library schools and in business schools; knowledge practices for small groups; and current research. (LRW)

A growing number of American Library Association (ALA)-accredited library schools are offering distance education graduate programs, sparking a debate about the quality and acceptance of such degrees. Alumni of distance education Library and Information Science (LIS) programs were surveyed about their distance education experiences. Survey results…

This article describes how school librarians in Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) in Georgia addressed a concern regarding the performance evaluation tool that stemmed from the passing of House Bill (HB) 244, which was passed in response to the state's Race to the Top (RT3) application requirements. The bill became law on July 1, 2014, and the…

2016 marks an important milestone for the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). Despite the ever-changing and always-challenging economic, political, and societal landscape, for nearly sixty-five years the association has grown and prospered within the structure of the American Library Association (ALA) and remains "the only…

School libraries serve an important role; however, elementary students who attend schools online typically do not have a school library. This study followed an online school's inaugural year in instituting a library. A mixed methods approach examined data from focus groups, interviews, surveys, library-use records and oral reading fluency scores.…

To be recognized and adopted, the promise and potential of national standards must validate the instructional role of the school librarian and build formative knowledge through authentic process and products. Inquiry is a direct link to those dimensions. Standards that are rigorous and relevant optimize the developing brain's affinity for building…

This author contends that there never has been a need for the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and there is no evidence that it will do students any good. The Common Core ignores the real problem in American education: poverty. The Common Core movement will be a disaster for libraries and will have a negative impact on nearly every aspect of…

As teachers strive to make sense of and implement knowledge of creativity that is available from the research community, school librarians are called upon to help turn rhetoric into reality. Developing the creativity habit is far more meaningful and effective if the classroom activity is representative of the real-world problem-solving process.…

Middle school librarian Susan Grigsby believes strongly in teaching independence in book selection, and has been able to back up her belief by putting programs in place that provide evidence to show her administrators how fostering independence works. She spends time creating personal bibliographies for her students based on an interest survey.…

As spring arrives, more time is spent outdoors. Unfortunately, as spring fever hits, books and learning often take a backseat. The goal is for educators to find a way to re-engage learners. In this article, the author presents a seasonal story and game that can help catch students' attention by making learning both informative and entertaining.…

Every segment of life has its familiar products. In the food world, most people have heard of Kool-Aid, French's Mustard, and Coke. In the school library world, the Newbery Award, Scholastic, and AACR2 are well known nationwide. In this article, the author talks about AACR2, which stands for the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, Second Edition. It…

In this article, the author presents six tips to help school library media specialists achieve effective collaboration with teachers: (1) Schedule a set time for collaboration meetings and use a meeting log; (2) Be flexible; (3) Be an advocate for collaboration; (4) Co-plan, co-teach, and co-access; (5) Be positive; and (6) Keep a meeting log, log…

The 2022 edition of the Annual Condition of Education Report (COE) marks the 33rd edition of the report. For over 30 years, the Department has published the COE in order to provide education stakeholders critical data about the status of Iowa's education system. The 2022 COE includes a wide variety of content including information about Iowa's…

Throughout the hundred years history of education for librarianship some issues have been discussed again and again without agreement being reached. A number of these are quite central to the problem of education for a profession: the desirability (or otherwise) of professional schools; the control of education by professional bodies; theory vs.…