To transform humanists with Ph.D.'s into academic librarians is the purpose of an initiative recently launched by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR). The equivalent of an apprenticeship, the program revolves postdoctoral work in an academic library in lieu of earning a master's degree from a library and information studies…

The development of a little-known library education program hosted on four historically Black colleges and university campuses and credited with training more than 200 African American teacher-librarians is explored. The program's importance to the evolvement of secondary education of the largely undereducated and disenfranchised people of the…

Designed for use by students in library science and school media programs in the state of Louisiana, this handbook outlines the responsibilities and activities which will engage library school students when they become practicing school librarians or media specialists. Checklists of the competencies which student librarians must achieve to become…

Argues that the master's degree awarded by a graduate program accredited by the American Library Association is the requisite credential for youth services librarianship. Problem areas discussed include the departmental location of education for youth services librarians, the development of skills standards, and the need for identifying career…

Discussion of school library media programs, educational reform, and the national guidelines set forth in "Information Power" focuses on a study of 48 school library media programs in the New England region. Surveys and observations by student interns from the University of Rhode Island library school are compared and analyzed. Results…

Preferred characteristics in applicants for school library media specialist (SLMS) positions are studied in this article from three perspectives, that of the library school faculty, the library school student, and the school administrator. Surveys were sent to public high school administrators in the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho;…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the impact of flexible scheduling in school libraries on incorporating information literacy skills into the core curriculum. Participants included school librarians from middle schools in neighboring suburban and urban counties. In addition to an open-ended questionnaire, interviews and focus…

Preparing school librarians for a diverse array of 21st-century educational environments is a daunting task. Faculty in school library preparation programs send candidates out into sparsely populated rural areas, dense urban settings, and everything in between. Some candidates will provide services and resources in updated, modern facilities,…

Collaboration between special and general educators is not only essential; the 2004 Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004) mandates this collaboration. Special educators must forge partnerships with general educators to create inclusive school environments for all students. Although collaboration between these…

The American Association for School Librarians suggests an important mission for school librarians is to ensure personal growth through ongoing exposure to conferences, journal articles, webinars, presentations, and membership in professional organizations. As professional educators, School Librarians should exemplify the vision for being…

Despite the funding challenges nearly all school libraries face, many media specialists are optimistic about the role of technology in the school library, according to "School Library Journal's" ("SLJ") 2011 Technology Survey. But in spite of the general optimism, others point to some significant obstacles: technological innovations are often…

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Standards for the 21st Century Learner do not just pay lip-service to the value of reading. They have been aligned with the Common Core standards that were derived from, and now influence, state standards-based tests, such as the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) reading tests. It is…

Librarians, teachers, authors, video game designers, corporate executives, in fact all providers of information struggle with the dilemma of how to get consumers of information engaged with their message. School librarians know that engaged students learn more and retain the information longer; authors and game designers want their readers and…

In this article, the author shares a story that one would tell his/her colleagues at a district professional-development meeting in his/her efforts to inspire them to move from good to great. He considers the careers of three school librarians in one school district--Amy, Brady, and Cindy--who ended up becoming strong, resourceful leaders for…

A century ago, a woman named Mary E. Hall convinced school leaders of the need for the professional school librarian--a librarian who cultivated a love of reading, academic achievement, and independent learning skills. After graduating from New York City's Pratt Institute Library School in 1895, Hall developed her vision for the high school…