School Libraries Matter

As school districts across the United States increasingly question the need for trained librarians, this collection of research-based evidence helps make the case for a state-licensed librarian in every school. While serving on the AASL legislation committee, Mirah Dow recognized the urgent need to utilize research-based evidence to prove school librarians are much more than an educational luxury. This collection is the result. It brings together school library research studies and findings from the past decade and draws connections to how they can be applied to situations and questions that occur in practice. Taken as a whole, the research underscores that state-licensed, school librarians are a necessity for 21st-century students. Chapters center on important research studies from the past decade that examine data and locate school libraries within operational contexts. Methodologies are explained and findings summarized, while notes clarify practical applications for school librarians. Because each chapter includes a connection to broad realms of theoretical influence in the social sciences, the work will also be relevant to educators and public policymakers, arming them to better communicate research-based links between investments in school libraries and student learning outcomes.

Libraries today are more important than ever. More than just book repositories, libraries can become bulwarks against some of the most crucial challenges of our age: unequal access to education, jobs, and information. In BiblioTech, educator and technology expert John Palfrey argues that anyone seeking to participate in the 21st century needs to understand how to find and use the vast stores of information available online. And libraries, which play a crucial role in making these skills and information available, are at risk. In order to survive our rapidly modernizing world and dwindling government funding, libraries must make the transition to a digital future as soon as possible—by digitizing print material and ensuring that born-digital material is publicly available online. Not all of these changes will be easy for libraries to implement. But as Palfrey boldly argues, these modifications are vital if we hope to save libraries and, through them, the American democratic ideal.

Topics include general education in the country, history of school library development, administration and management techniques, programs, education, and certification requirements, standards and legislation, and professional support.

Written in clear, simple language, this book provides information that will help an aide or paraprofessional manage a school library. Setting up and managing a library media center is a complex task best handled by a certified and experienced librarian, but the fact of the matter is that many school districts have had to cut librarian positions and are attempting to fill the gaps with aides. School Library Management: Just the Basics describes the step-by-step process of setting up the management processes in a school library and outlines easy management concepts that will guide aides through challenges like setting up activity centers and establishing rules for behavior. With over three decades of experience in librarianship between them, the authors cover topics such as student incentives and rewards; scheduling and supervising computer usage; circulation procedures; training materials for volunteers; passes, book marks, and other patterns; and privacy issues. This book can also serve as an effective training guide for district librarians responsible for training aides who are running multiple centers.