School library media specialists can revitalize programs and restore their worth to teachers, administrators, parents, and students by valuing books and reading, learning and teaching strategies to access print and electronic information, automating circulation systems and switching to integrated online catalogs, and communicating the contribution…

Provides suggestions for starting a new school library media specialist position, including defining an ideal program; creating a checklist of needs and wants; using the summer to meet staff, including principals, teachers, and support staff; formal presentations to library staff; cooperation with teachers; and meeting students. (LRW)

Provides a background of the National Science Foundation's NSDL (National Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Digital Library) which includes three tracks: collections, services, and targeted research. Discusses challenges and opportunities for elementary and secondary school library media specialists and teachers. (LRW)

Discusses the value of developing and promoting a natural history library by school library media specialists. Topics include benefits to students; promoting outdoor education; recommended reading for high school students; using technology; and other aids to promote outdoor education. (LRW)

Provides fully developed library media activities designed to be used in connection with specific curriculum units, including art, mathematics, reading and language arts, and social studies. For each activity, the objectives of the exercise, resources, instructional roles of librarians and teachers, procedures involved, evaluation, and follow-up…

Examines early childhood teachers' knowledge of developmentally appropriate practices related to academic degrees, supervised practical experience, content areas of child development and early childhood education courses taken, and years of employment in child care or education. (BB)

Discusses services offered by a vocational high school media center to meet the needs of students in the areas of general education as well as trade and technical education. Topics covered include the library collections and services; the audiovisual production facility; and the use of microcomputers in graphics production and in the library's…

Discusses the use of instructional television and video materials in the classroom and suggests what the role of the library/media specialist should be in increasing the use of these materials. Topics discussed include matching video materials with current curriculum needs; computer database programs; needs assessment forms; promotional…

Discussion of the role of the school library media specialist focuses on how to diagnose information needs. Highlights include diagnostic processes for individuals and for groups; the reference interview; needs assessment; neutral questions; determining user preferences; client limitations; and evaluation. (eight references) (LRW)

Describes two studies conducted in the DeKalb County (GA) School System's secondary school libraries, one on DIALOG, the other on the use of the Internet and media specialists' perceptions of that tool. Discussion includes the application of experience from the DeKalb library to other new school library Internet projects. (16 references) (KRN)

Describes steps for improving preservice teacher education, including the training of school library media specialists. Highlights include behavioral aspects, including imitation, isolation, transfer, and technique; technological aspects; and the evolution of library and information literacy skills of the school media specialist. (LRW)

Explains the concept of diagnosing information needs as part of the role of the school library media specialist. Topics discussed include the diagnostic process, i.e., the reference interview; information psychology; theories of information transfer; a model for diagnosing information needs; and implications for practitioners and for research. (19…

Discusses the role of school library media specialists as instructional consultants and the gap between theory and practice in the roles of curriculum support and instructional design. A study of school media specialists in DeKalb County (Georgia) Public Schools is described that investigated the theory-practice gap. (23 references) (LRW)

Discusses the role of school principals and their relationship with the school library media specialist. Topics addressed include budgeting; decision making; individual management styles; expectations of education; site-based management; and the media specialist's role in school reform. (LRW)

This monograph presents seven chapters on the Teacher Effectiveness in Children's Physical Education Project (TECPEP). The chapters provide an overview and deal with subjects, sources of data, and data analysis; motor skill testing; children's physical fitness; cognitive and affective assessment; implications from the results; and reflections on…