Amid the ongoing pandemic, school librarians across the country have been facing a different kind of battle, one that has been going on for years in some cases: the fight for every student to benefit from the instruction and carefully curated resources a certified school librarian can provide. Several states are working to introduce or retain…

This is a case study of integrating streaming media reserves services into a suite of course reserve services provided by the User Services and Resource Sharing department at the University. This integration presented several challenges including: employees having no prior streaming media experience, staffing, technology, copyright, and user…

Libraries provide invaluable services and supports to members of their communities, including school communities. Those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can receive particular benefits from their libraries, including supports in the areas of academics, social skills, communication, technology, literacy, leisure skills, and even employment…

Sweden has made great strides in school librarianship, particularly in the area of legislation and policy. School libraries are now mandated, and curriculum indicates where school librarians should play a role. School libraries must be accountable to two sets of agencies, and oversight mainly occurs at the municipal level. The main challenge…

J. Linda Williams was coordinator of school library services for Anne Arundel County Public Schools prior to her retirement. She served as AASL President 2005-2006 and is also a past president of the Maryland Association of School Librarians. Looking back on her 2005-2006 term as AASL President, Williams writes that she feels that particular year…

The legal and ethical use of Big Data and Learning Analytics in academic libraries has been widely debated. Analyzing large data sets has tremendous potential for libraries to implement changes that help students and prove the library's value to the university. The librarian's role in safeguarding patron privacy in a university setting where…

This article describes how school librarians in Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) in Georgia addressed a concern regarding the performance evaluation tool that stemmed from the passing of House Bill (HB) 244, which was passed in response to the state's Race to the Top (RT3) application requirements. The bill became law on July 1, 2014, and the…

Evaluation of instructional personnel is standard procedure in our Pre-K-12 public schools, and its purpose is to document educator effectiveness. With Race to the Top and No Child Left Behind waivers, states are required to implement performance-based evaluations that demonstrate student academic progress. This three-year study describes the…

When the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were adopted in many states, it was only one piece of the pie called Race to the Top (RttT). As states competed and clamored to win the Race to the Top dollars, they knew it came with strings attached. The biggest piece of string is called APPR, or Annual Professional Performance Review--and it is more…

A 2010 study of the portrayal of disabilities in graphic novels selected by librarians as the "Best" revealed that disabilities were present in less than half of the sample, and the majority of those depictions were of negative stereotypes (Irwin and Moeller 2010). This follow-up study looked at a best seller list of graphic novels to answer the…

School librarians act as servants of the school community and protectors of students' rights, and it is the ethical duty of school librarians to champion student privacy and resist threats to it. This article addresses the legality of this process based upon the 2007 article "How Does the Family Rights and Privacy Act [FERPA] Affect You"…

American education is failing many students, but especially students of color, from low-income families, with disabilities or those who have limited English proficiency. These students are the focus of "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB), the 2001 revision of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), which was signed into law…

It is appropriate for librarians to be aware of representative procedures and activities which can take place in a federal agency - in this case the U.S. Office of Education - in the preparation of a library-related legislative proposal. This article highlights a few past and current activities affecting librarianship. (Author/NH)

Included in this compilation are all changes in New York State Education Law enacted through the December 1981 legislative session, and all changes in the New York State Board of Regents Rules and the Education Commissioner's Regulations through December 1981, which pertain to the administration and operation of public and association libraries in…

This guide, presented by the American Association of School Librarians and the American Library Association, is organized by type of media, and is intended to provide an easy and reasonable approach to deciding whether a copy of material may be lawfully made. The display and performance of works, also governed by copyright, are discussed where…