There are many different job titles for this position around the country: school librarian, library media specialist, information technology specialist, research technology specialist, and library media coordinator. The position has changed from primarily a traditional librarian position to a balance of teaching and librarianship, and it's…

Of all the buzz words used in the school library media profession, "collaboration" evokes the strongest feelings--and not all of those feelings are positive. Some library media specialists are not convinced that collaboration is an essential part of their programs, yet collaboration seems to be essential in many other professions. In fact, there…

This article features an open letter written by the author to her school library media colleagues, applauding those who are providing informative and interesting staff development activities for teachers, administrators, and their library media peers. She reminds her colleagues about their role in staff development and not to underestimate the…

One cannot dispute the value of collaboration. It brings concreteness to concepts for the children and provides a seamless transition to teaching information literacy. The path to student excellence lies in collaboration and flexible scheduling. Although a library media specialist is new to the profession, he or she has likely attended conference…

A brand is an idea in the minds of one's constituents that is created by what one says or does. The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) describes itself as a professional membership organization, serving the needs of 10,000 school library media specialists in the United States, Canada, and around the world. In this article, the author…

Bullying. Death. Disabilities. Peer acceptance. Cultural differences. Adoption. Sibling rivalry... These are some of the unfortunate realities and personal challenges that children experience and must deal with on a daily basis. Library media specialists are frequently asked to suggest books teachers can use to give children insight into…

Focuses on the potential role of the media specialist in the delivery of professional development. The role of the school principal is described, and it is suggested that the media specialist can be a valuable source of assistance with instructional leadership responsibilities. The team concept and various approaches to instructional leadership…

Collaboration between classroom teachers and library media specialists will help overcome problems of increasing workload faced by teachers, students and parents in the aftermath of the No Child Left Behind program. One such experiment resulted in transforming a tedious assignment into an exciting and memorable project.

Discussion of the relationship between school librarians and principals covers budget, use of the library for other purposes, and involvement in school activities. The qualifications of a school librarian for the position of principal are also considered. (MES)

Describes various approaches for the media specialist to use in getting teachers involved in library media activities: the Traditional Approach; the "Keeping up with the Jones" Approach; the "Sneak up on Your Enemy" Approach; the "Element of Surprise" Approach; and the "Kill Them with Kindness" Approach. (MES)

Media specialists concerned about students' academic achievement can work with teachers to extend the scope of classroom activities through instructional development, and institute professional improvement programs when training and knowledge are lacking. Studies show significant gains in achievement test scores are attributable to presence and…

Describes the role of the school library media program in networking in terms of nine network considerations requiring group agreement, joint programs and services, media specialist's roles, and challenges to be met. (CMV)

Presents traditional and nontraditional ideas for cooperation between school and public libraries to provide for the total educational, cultural, and other needs of the community. (Author/CMV)

Collaboration by several school and library associations has resulted in a decision to adopt new job titles, job descriptions, and facility names. Reasons for this change are discussed and some insight into the process is provided by commentary from interviews. (JKP)

Reports that the cooperative program planning and teaching (CPPT) role of teacher-librarians is for the most part not taking place to any degree in the majority of primary schools in Australia. Reasons for the failure of CPPT to gain wide acceptance in Australian primary schools are analyzed and the benefits of CPPT are discussed. (six references)…