Search

The author discusses book covers and the role they play in a middle-schooler's choice of reading material. The author took a survey to determine what criteria children used in selecting a fiction book; 76% of children agreed that the cover influenced their choice. Librarians rank in importance when giving book recommendations and therefore must be knowledgeable about current books for young adults. The library display acts as a sales pitch and must be eye-catching, says the author. INSETS: Covers with the highest votes (2005);It's What's Outside That Counts, Too.

Gives information about flexible scheduling in school libraries. Integration of library skills instruction with what is taught in the classroom; Methods of informing students about new books and services at the library; Factors to consider, including whether the library media curriculum is integrated in the total school curriculum; Opportunities to learn about other resources and technologies beyond the media center; View that, if successful, flexible scheduling can help give students the confidence to become life-long library users.

The article offers advice on censorship issues faced by teachers and librarians. Topics include a librarian's opposition to the stand of library branch managers that their jobs would be easier if they created a separate tween section and limited these patrons to this collection, how a high school librarian should deal with the science teacher of her daughter who said that climate change is a political hoax, and the concern of a teacher who was asked to stop teaching "Mississippi Trial, 1955."

The author offers advice for librarians when books are not returned by library patrons. He mentions that any school library that actively circulates books will have patrons who lose or take library books. He mentions a quote by Henry Miller from his "Books of My Life" about a book. He also relates the primary motivation for many librarians who lament the number of lost books.

The article offers a guide for school librarians to putting up a pop-up library aimed at engaging students who are reluctant to read and who do not regularly visit the library. Topics covered include the steps involved in establishing a pop-up library, promoting the pop-up library via Instagram or Twitter, and the feedback received by a school librarian to the pop-up library she opened in unexpected places on campus.

The article discusses the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, which is not viewed as an authoritative source of information by librarians as the information on it can be rewritten at will by the general public. It is noted, however, that many students and their parents use Wikipedia almost reflexively. The article recommends that school librarians promote better use of the site by encouraging their patrons to verify Wikipedia entries by using more carefully vetted sources.

The author reflects on the issue of quality after-school programming in public and school libraries. He contends that after-school programs need to be more proactive, rather than reactive. The author also suggests that library directors initiate more communication with one another, and have the proper evaluation and after-school tools in place to measure success and create a fun learning environment.