Power-up School Library Media Centers: New York Library Power

The National Library Power program, funded by the DeWitt Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund, was designed to create public elementary and middle school library programs that improve teaching and leaming. Using the school library media program as a catalyst for school reform, the Library Power program demonstrated how to change the role of the school librarian. During its eight-year grant period, New Visions for Public Schools' professional development program taught participants how to administer a collaboratively planned, flexible access library, and address issues such as management, collection development, and technology. The authors describe its features and its applicability to other school systems.

The Impact of Technology on School Library Media Centers in Two Florida School Districts

In the last two decades technology has had a tremendous impact on school library media centers and personnel. The purposes of this study are to investigate the effects of technology on (1) school library media programs, (2) collections, (3) jobs of media personnel, and (4) student learning in media centers, and to determine if media staffing influences such effects. Twenty-- three media personnel in two Florida school districts with different media staffing procedures were administered open-ended questionnaires. In both districts technology had positive effects on provision of information resources in many formats to accommodate a variety of student learning styles, management of the media center, and creation of enthusiasm and interest in learning. It appeared that differences in district staffing and funding affected feelings about the impact of technology on jobs and the media collection.

Creating Love for Reading via Inclusion of African Talking Drums in School Library Media Centre Activities

The African drum is an important instrument of communication in traditional African societies which serves as the voice of the whole community and it communicates desired information. Children that do not come to the school library media center can be attracted through the inclusion of African drums in her activities. This paper discusses ways through which children could be attracted to the school library media centers for her readership campaign programs through the use of the African talking drums. African drums can be used through role plays, songs, dances and dramas of literature such that children would get interested in reading accessible books in their library. The paper talks about who plays the drum and the indigenous African stories that include the use of drums as a medium of communicating story themes. The paper also highlights some activities carried out by a school library media center in Nigeria (with graphic details) on how some of these drums were utilized. Pictorial examples and presentation of the African drums would be presented during discussions. The African Drum should be seen as a significant technique that could be used in attracting children back to read in the school library media center.

Transitioning from Curriculum Materials Center to School Library Media Center in Pre-service Teacher Education

Pre-service teachers use Curriculum Materials Centers (CMCs) to find resources to use in assignments for college-level pre-service coursework and to use in practice teaching with PK-12 students. CMCs that visually and environmentally resemble school library media centers can transition pre-service CMC users into classroom teachers who use school library media centers for personal professional growth and to enrich their teaching. This article presents a case study of one CMC to illustrate this transition.