Discussion of bibliographic instruction for users of CD-ROM products highlights computer-based tutorials (CBT) that were developed at the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Western Ontario. Structured searching is described, and problems created by the lack of commercial CD-ROM tutorials and adequate training videos are…

Discusses the education and training needed for information brokers. Topics include information broker as a career option; how library and information science programs can prepare students; research skills versus reference skills; small business management; and alternative and continuing education. (LRW)

Analyzes available data to determine the validity of explanations offered for the shortage of qualified academic librarians. Highlights include recruiting academic/ research librarians; library school enrollment trends; placement data; future possibilities; salary and working conditions; and professional issues. (Contains 50 references.)…

Compares accredited library schools in number of students and faculty; faculty/student ratio; percentage of students receiving scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships; tuition and fees in-state and out-of-state; cost per credit hour in-state and out-of-state; number or required course hours; and minimum time to complete MLS and highlights…

The United States no longer has a workforce dependent on operating machinery and performing repetitive tasks. Educators are therefore challenged to change the way students learn and to provide a workforce that is innovative and that has the ability to design new jobs. To do this, students must learn to be problem solvers, to create products that…

Being committed to continuous improvement means having the will to engage in a journey. The journey's path may be long and unpredictable, but most believe the path is well worth navigating if improvement is the end result. Sometimes the most poignant and successful improvement endeavors begin when people examine themselves from within. When they…

Most school libraries have little funding for books, much less for redecorating. So what can a librarian do to give his or her library a makeover? This article presents a few cost-effective ways to renovate in just a few weeks. These tips include the use of colors, rearrangement of furnitures, signages, and more.

Microsoft and Google have very different business models. Microsoft believes that if they build it, people will come--and buy their products. Google's approach is different: if they build it, people will integrate it into their lives. People use Microsoft's product on Microsoft's terms, but people use Google products on "their" terms. In this…

US school libraries are required to ensure that schoolchildren and school staff with disabilities have equal opportunity to use and benefit from library facilities and information services under federal law. However, evidence indicates teacher-librarians (TLs) often lack the training, knowledge and skills to provide programmes and services that…

With celebrities discussing Twitter on television talk shows, Facebook being used by people to share pictures of their grandchildren, and academic seminars being delivered in Second Life, it is hard to get through a day without being faced with some sort of social networking tool. Librarians often talk about the importance of outreach and of…

This article presents the Louisa County High School Library's annual Thanks-a-Latte Day, an event that introduces the American political process to LCHS seniors in a real way. Thanks-a-Latte Day was born from an idea found in a "School Library Journal" article by Charli O'Dell published in 1999. Her basic idea was to promote the school library by…

Have you ever stopped to think about life before Google? We will make the argument that Google is the first manifestation of Web 2.0, of the power and promise of social networking and the ubiquitous wiki. We will discuss the positive influence of Google and how Google and other social networking tools afford librarians leading-edge technologies…

In this article, the author shares how she uses origami for her elementary students. Using origami in her classroom helps with classroom management. Students are enthralled to watch the paper as it is folded. Every student can feel a part of the experience. Origami can serve many functions in library classrooms: attention grabbers, geometry…

Student-run literature circles within the classroom setting have been well documented in recent years. This past year the author was given the opportunity to have her fifth grade library class for an additional library period each week to devote to literature circles. For their program, the goal was to expand the student's pleasure in reading and…

There has been a significant spike among school librarians in talk about the process of learning since the 2007 release of the "Standards for the 21st-Century Learner" by the American Association of School Librarians. How do children really learn best? The AASL Standards make it clear that 21st-century school librarianship is not just about…