In today's knowledge economy, both high school and university educators must ensure that students are equipped with the proficiencies needed to transition from high school to college and, ultimately, from college to the workplace. As librarians at Arizona State University (ASU), the authors sought to develop a local program that would support this…

This article offers some collaborative ideas that promote reading in the summer and throughout the year. These easy and economical ideas can be adapted and implemented to meet the needs of students. Collaboration can be the key to creating a program that offers more to students via many helping hands. Drawing upon the strengths and expertise of…

When teachers and school librarians work together, student achievement increases. Librarians know this and have made sure their teachers and administrators know this as well. But it's a giant leap from knowing the value of collaboration and actually collaborating. The only way to convince teachers to take that step is to convince them that the…

School librarians know the importance of collaboration. They cannot run effective school library programs unless they work closely with classroom teachers. They have learned that deep collaboration is a fluid process that evolves over time. Only as connections are made and relationships are forged can real instructional progress occur. Yet it…

It's hot in Accra. There aren't many roads in Ghana. No matter where one lives, he/she needs to get along with others. These are a few of the observations third grade students made during a collaborative unit that was aimed at increasing reading comprehension. Some of what these third graders learned was on the list of AASL standards the author…

School librarians should strive to create a learning environment that prepares their students for higher level thinking. They should not only memorize and remember, but also synthesize and evaluate their learning. This can be achieved through social literacy. By utilizing a collaborative lesson that has students teaching other students, school…

All librarians, even those working one job, can become victims of burnout. Burnout can occur throughout the course of any career, and can pose a serious threat. On a daily basis, librarians help patrons fight their way through a haze of misinformation and disinformation. A good librarian is always on the ready, shifting gears from MLA source…

In "What Defines an Exemplary School Librarian," Jami Jones and Gail Bush make a strong argument that professional disposition is the key to a successful library media program. The authors emphasize the relevance of INTASC standards which specify that teachers must promote "positive social interaction and (develop) healthy and helping…

School librarians teach through collaboration with the classroom teacher, who comes to the library with a content assignment, and the librarian infuses it with information-skills lessons. But this type of collaboration is often hindered by various obstacles, including the teacher's reluctance to devote the time needed. This is the dilemma. School…

In spite of nationwide budget cuts, the potential of school libraries to positively impact student achievement has never been higher. Schools cannot afford to do without strong school library programs. It is the professional responsibility of librarians to fight for their programs, using warrior tactics to survive and thrive through tough economic…

The Common Core raises the bar for states struggling to decide what should be taught or tested. As low-performing schools strive to improve instruction, the blueprint has been defined. The Common Core defines the curriculum in enough detail and specifies ways to teach that content creatively and innovatively, to produce graduates who are problem…

It's time for a sweeping new approach to information literacy learning! The sad truth is that few, if any, information literacy efforts in schools have fulfilled the promise of a "comprehensive" information literacy program: (1) A comprehensive program should reach "all" students in the school; (2) A comprehensive program should be "predictable"…

Which potato chip is healthiest: (1) regular; (2) baked; or (3) sour cream and onion? This problem requires critical and numerical skills in order to read and compare nutrition labels. The question has applications in mathematics and science classrooms but also in teachers' lounges and school cafeterias. It is a problem that addresses the five…

With an annual dropout rate of roughly 1.2 million students, far too many children and youth are being left behind in schools. As a consequence of the large dropout rate, it is estimated that the United States loses almost $320 billion in potential earnings each year. It is apparent that educational reform is needed in order to identify at-risk…

In data-driven collaboration, the teacher and library media specialist (LMS) have a prolonged and interdependent relationship as they do in all collaboration. Units and projects are team-planned, team-taught, and team-assessed. The partners share goals, have carefully defined roles in the process, and plan comprehensively based on the results of…