Three years ago, the author was a newly minted library media specialist, a bit green, but excited, enthusiastic, and ready to educate her middle school students. Once she learned that four out of the twenty-five sixth grade classes she was required to teach were bilingual "Dual Language Classes," the author was determined to use her background in…

At one time, the Caldwell High School Library at Caldwell Exempted Village Schools in Caldwell, Ohio, had two sections--the main room with the shelves, circulation desk, and tables and chairs, and an adjoining room with student desks. There was a wide opening to the back room, and glass partitions in the upper half of the wall separating the two…

According to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (2006), "Accomplished library media specialists are instructional leaders who forge greater opportunities for learners" (55). As one of the few school personnel responsible for all students, the media specialist can serve as a coordinator and an advocate. They can ensure equitable…

When future teacher-librarians enter their preservice education, what kinds of advocacy-focused learning experiences can and should they expect? How can preservice teacher-librarians be supported as they develop the character traits of advocates for effective, integrated school library programs? In this article, the authors, first and foremost,…

This article presents findings from the "Library Journal's" Job Satisfaction Survey among 3,095 library staffers from public, academic, special, and school libraries. A whopping 85.6 percent of the respondents said they would choose a career in librarianship again if they had to start over. Workers in all types of libraries--and across…

The Library Media Center of the Maggie L. Walker Governor's School, a high school specializing in Government and International Studies, located in Richmond, Virginia, serves close to 650 gifted students in grades 9-12. The skills of Governor's students range from the neophyte ninth-grade researcher to experienced faculty members embarking on their…

The history of the Coshocton Public Library (Ohio) is traced from 1872 through 1992, highlighting its connection with the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum. In response to a newspaper editorial, citizens of Coshocton formed the Coshocton Library Association in 1872. The library evolved through the years as a free school library, a municipal library, a…

This paper discusses why school librarians are well qualified to write for students and describes the following aspects of becoming a successful writer: (1) manuscript development, including choosing the type of material to write, gathering materials, deciding on the level of intended readers, and getting a manuscript illustrated; (2) publishing…

A study portrayed the methods and materials used in literature instruction in schools in a representative sample of schools nationally. It examined the contrasts among groups of schools that might be expected to differ in their approaches to the teaching of literature, and provided a portrait of "typical" practice. A random sample of 650…

Suggestions for improving school library and media services are offered by elementary school media staff in the Sacramento (California) area. This manual consists of one-page reference sheets for each school that responded to a request to share helpful ideas on media services. In addition to a helpful idea or ideas, each sheet includes the name of…

Discusses student-centered schools and the role of librarians and libraries. (PF)

Citations in this annotated bibliography were selected from the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) indexes, Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE), and Resources in Education (RIE). Titles include: (1) "Computer Applications in the Library Media Center: An Introduction to Electronic Spreadsheets" (Keith E. Bernhard);…

This ERIC Digest synthesizes current attitudes on library censorship in the public schools, as reflected in state statutes and federal court cases. Separate sections describe the rise of censorship, recent court cases and incidents related to library censorship, who the censors are, what is being censored, a framework for academic freedom in…

This two-phase study of the use of networks and information retrieval systems by schools in Australia was designed to inquire as to the extent that schools are using all available networks; how appropriate and effective these sources of information are for schools; how costly such services might be; and what developments can be reasonably expected…

This list of 126 software programs includes the title, description, producer or address to contact for additional information, system requirements, and cost. Programs listed are categorized by the following library functions: audiovisual catalog, audiovisual equipment inventory, bibliographies, catalog card printing, circulation and overdues,…