International Association of School Librarianship Conference Proceedings
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The Changing Power of Readers in a Time of New Technology
No full textToday\u27s young people are used to moving in a world of multiple media and formats; they take the ability to move from one platform to another completely for granted A qualitative study enlisted a small number of students in fifth and eighth grades (all with a background of domestic computer ownership and use) for intensive work with texts in different media. This report on part of that study demonstrates that those who have grown up with domestic access to video, computers, and the Internet are often relatively neutral when it comes to platform, preferring to judge texts by issues of personal salience and fluency of access
The School Library Web Site: On the Information Highway or Stalled in the Carpark
No full textBased on research conducted by the author in 1996 and 1999, this paper discusses theoretical issues and provides an overview of the purposes for which school libraries are creating and maintaining home pages or Web sites. The research has implications for those who are planning a Web page or site for their school library/media center; among other things, it provides information about what other school libraries/media centers have done and suggests some pitfalls that might be avoided It also suggests areas for further study, notably the possible development of a model that might be used for the evaluation of school library Web sites
Combined School/Public Libraries in Israel at the High School Level: Some Results of an Exploratory Field Study
No full textThe issue of combined school-public libraries has long concerned researchers and practitioners in the field and is well documented in literature. A literature survey reveals opinion articles as well as empirical field studies, especially in the US, Canada, UK, Australia and Germany, which attempt to determine the advantages and disadvantages of this model, and possible factors associated with its success in practice. Despite the importance of the topic and its potential of budget savings and greater efficiency in use of resources, no large-scale empirical study of the extent and performance of combined school-public libraries in Israel has been conducted.
The study aimed to empirically investigate the combined school-public libraries on the high school level existing in Israel. The main research tools were three different written closed questionnaires sent to the school librarian, school principal and one of the school teachers. In 1996 questionnaires were mailed to all 65 schools known to have some type of combination libraries: 26 had a combined school-public library, while in the remaining 39 schools the library was a branch of a regional or municipal public library. Questionnaires were also mailed to 40 randomly-chosen schools, having a \u27regular\u27 (i.e. not combined) library, to serve as a control group. Response rate was about 50% and the final sample included 51 libraries: 18 -combined, 11-\u27branches\u27, and 22-\u27regular\u27 ones.
Main findings were: the number of combined libraries has risen constantly over the decades which seems to be an interesting trend, especially in view of the recent decline reported in the US and Canada. Regarding space and seats the situation in the regional libraries was much better than in the urban ones. Concerning opening hours the urban combined libraries were open longer than the regional combined ones and the control group. The combined libraries, mainly the urban ones, were open for more afternoon hours, all of them were open during school vacations, and they had a higher average number of weekly librarian hours per school. Regional combined libraries had a much larger number of books per student and periodicals and computers per library than the urban combined ones and the control group. The mean number of users of the reading-room was about the same (usually low) in all types of libraries in afternoon hours, but differed considerably in the mornings, probably due to different teaching methods.
About half the librarians, the school principals and the teachers in the combined libraries rated their combined library as \u27very successful\u27, while the rest rated it as only \u27partially successful\u27, or expressed dissatisfaction, pointing out serious problems. Regional librarians were much more satisfied with the combined model, compared to their urban colleagues. Findings indicated that the combined model is more likely to succeed in a regional library, in a rural setting, than in an urban one
Children\u27s Literature: Reflection of Society, Culture and Ethnic Groups
No full textThis paper looks at the working definition of literature in general and gives an overview of children\u27s literature. It also highlights the peculiar problems of Nigerian children\u27s literature, dwelling on the dearth of children\u27s books. This, inevitably, leads to a discussion of foreign literature and its effects on Nigerian children. Recommendations on how to remedy the current situation are offered, covering the enrichment of the curriculum, encouraging writers, provision and improvement of public and school libraries, parental involvement in the child\u27s development watching out for abnormal behavior in children, and cultivating good habits
Information Literacy: Teacher\u27s Perspectives of the Information Process
No full textTeaching within a student-centered paradigm in an information society means accepting the responsibility of teaching for the acquisition of integrated information habits and fully adaptable lifelong information skills. Information literacy is critical, yet not enough has changed in education to make in an understood part of the pedagogy of the classroom. Australian studies point the way for developing a sense of clarity for practical change
Accepting Tolerance and Diversity
No full textExploring diversity instills in children an awareness and respect for themselves and others. Research projects that address stereotyping, race relations, and prejudice within ourselves can be developed through collaboration between the librarian and classroom teacher (who may themselves be of different cultures). These research projects help children to understand that the world is made up of interrelated people; that people must not be judged on appearance or background alone; and that individuals and their contributions to society are of primary importance. These projects encourage children to be more tolerant of others and to savour the rich diversity of the changing world culture
Best Children\u27s Picture Books from Abroad: Valuing Other Cultures
No full textTranslated children’s books can play an important role in helping children develop an understanding of other people. Outstanding picture books in this specialized genre affirm the fact that each person is unique, but there are universal themes and feelings that every person possesses, regardless of culture or language. A comparison of the past six years of Caldecott Award Winners and outstanding translated children’s books provides insights into their similarities and differences. While the Caldecott books all seem to be big, bright, and beautiful, the translated picture books selected for study seem to be diverse in style, medium, and bookmanship
The Information Literacy Movement of the School Library Media Field: A Preliminary Summary of the Research
No full textThe authors summarize the proceedings of two major conferences, the Treasure Mountain Research Retreat VI and the International Association School Librarianship conference. In addition, the authors look at the entire history of information literacy and bring together the theory development, the research, and practice in school libraries since the late 1980s. Information literacy and critical thinking ideas from the fields of education, cognitive psychology and educational technology have been included
Librarians: Bridges to College Readiness
No full textTeacher librarians often have to show their value in order to continue to provide their services, so being able to demonstrate how they help prepare students to be college-ready would reinforce the importance of professionally-led school libraries. This situation led to the research question: what relationship exists between the presence of a high school teacher librarian and freshmen college students’ academic success? To answer this question, this study examined five years of a large comprehensive university’s freshmen data about their course load, their first semester GPA, and characteristics of the high school from which they graduated. Findings revealed the impact of the high school librarian and students’ economic status
Analysis of Genre and Subject Representation in the Children’s and Young Adults’ Cataloging Program (CYAC) Bibliographic Metadata for Fiction Books
No full textBibliographic metadata that represents resources for children and young adults is important in providing access to these materials for school library users. In school library systems this bibliographic metadata exists in the form of records that are usually created in collaboration between publishers and cataloging agencies. Children’s and Young Adults’ Cataloging (CYAC) Program has been working at the Library of Congress since the 1960s to provide services for school and public libraries. This paper reports analysis of genre and subject representation in bibliographic metadata for fiction books created by the CYAC program. This metadata is important for discovery and supports genrefication efforts