School library media specialists: An evolving profession in a pandemic

In March 2020, Michigan’s school library media specialists, along with the entire educational community, found themselves facing unprecedented challenges brought by the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. As learning shifted online, the roles of school library media specialists shifted as well. Three southeast Michigan school library media specialists were interviewed to obtain their perspectives regarding the adaptation to distance learning, as well as how they predicted educational practices will evolve going forward. The educational practices of learning commons, guided inquiry, co-teaching, and information literacy were found to be particularly valuable during the shift to distance learning. The increased dependence on these practices during the pandemic will likely result in increased implementation of these practices when face-to-face learning resumes.

School Media Programs and Middle Grades Science Achievement: Results of a Study Performed in Michigan, USA

This paper describes a research study, completed in late 2004, in which the researcher examined the relationship between school media programs and science achievement in grade 8 students in Michigan schools. This paper reports the results of a mixed method sequential explanatory study undertaken to uncover the connection between school media programs and science achievement as well as the factors present in the relationships between school library media specialists and science teachers that encourage student achievement on state-mandated standardized tests.

Increasing Science Literacy through Collaboration between Teachers and School Library Media Specialists

This paper presents current research, and complementary perspectives on how and why interdisciplinary collaboration efforts contribute to positive outcomes for student science achievement. Undergraduate students, practising science teachers, and school library media specialists are included in this discussion.

School Libraries Serving Disadvantaged Populations in the USA

School library media specialists in the United States were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the most critical needs in their school libraries. The purpose of the survey was to develop information to be shared with grant-making agencies and foundations to provide suggestions in determining how money might be appropriated for spending. Results of the survey may also be used to compare the priorities of the general population of school library media specialists with those of specific subsets, such as those serving disadvantaged populations.

Librarians' Perceptions of the Greatest Needs in School Libraries

School library media specialists in the United States were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the most critical needs in their school libraries. The purpose of the survey was to develop information to be shared with grant-making agencies and foundations to provide suggestions in determining how money might be appropriated for spending. Results of the survey may also be used to compare the priorities of the general population of school library media specialists with those of specific subsets, such as those serving disadvantaged populations.

Benefits of Collaboration between the ESOL Teacher and the Library Media Specialist

With class sizes, administrator expectations, and general workloads increasing, ESOL teachers can feel overwhelmed. This article describes the benefits that ESOL teachers may experience when collaborating with school library media specialists (LMSs) regarding the differentiation of instruction, collaborative planning of lessons, technology integration, and student relationships.

Information Literacy for Teaching and Learning: A Course for Teacher Practitioners

Teachers are faced not only with standards-based instructional design daily, but with the shortage of certified school library media specialists within their districts. Information Literacy for Teaching and Learning, a graduate level course, was created, in part, to empower teachers with the knowledge, skills and abilities to embed information literacy within classroom learning experiences. In addition, the skills mastered and activities explored in this course logically transfer to research projects assigned in future graduate courses.

A High School Librarian’s Participation in Supporting Information Literacy on Her Campus

The ability to navigate the web and to use technology effectively and efficiently is no longer an option but a requirement in schools and in the workplace. Information literacy is widely accepted as embracing rapid advances in technologies and recognizing the multiple literacies required of students living and learning in this century. Information literacy has grown to include traditional literacy, computer literacy, media literacy, and network literacy. School library media specialists in the twenty-first century face both challenges and opportunities in the recent high expectations of information literacy. Among the challenges is keeping up with changing technologies and taking the necessary steps to ensure students and teachers have appropriate access to resources and instruction. Opportunities include the chance to transform today’s library into a resource center of the future where information literacy can be easily obtained. Welcome to the world of Ms. West, a middle school teacher turned high school librarian, and see how she ponders upon her new role as being the instructor/specialist of information literacy skills on the campus, a reading advocate and provider of reading materials, as the manager of the resources both information and library resources, and lastly being a collaborator with teachers concerning information literacy issues.