Guide for Developing and Evaluating School Library Programs, 7/e

ISBN-13: 9781591587170

153 pages • 8½ x 11
 2010

School libraries—and the staff charged with operating them—are facing a daunting challenge: deliver more benefit with less funding and resources. To achieve this, school library programs must be efficient and effective, and the stakeholders must be committed to their success. Today's school librarians not only need to be educators and facility managers, but also powerful advocates for their operations.

This updated edition of Guide for Developing and Evaluating School Library Programs is based on the newly revised AASL standards of 2007 and guidelines of 2009. It will provide a foundation for the continued development of school library programs in order to meet the challenges of learning in the 21st century, covering key topics such as leadership and advocacy; standards; certification; training and evaluating personnel; and resources and facilities. This guide will be invaluable to all school librarians, library media specialists and professors, and other educators.

This is a practical and useable reference for developing and evaluating school library programs that meet the needs of 21st century learners, teachers, and administrators.

In a recent study conducted by Ross Todd and Carol Kuhlthau of the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries, 99.4 percent of students in grades 3–12 "believe school libraries and their services help them become better learners." There is no doubt that libraries are still essential to education, but facilities and programs must evolve to match the needs of today's students.