Home > Publications > IASL: School Libraries Worldwide - July 1999

SCHOOL LIBRARIES WORLDWIDE

Volume 5, Number 2, July 1999

Theme: Library Power Program Evaluation

Guest Editors: Dianne McAfee Hopkins and Douglas L. Zweizig

The School Library Collection: An Essential Building Block to Teaching and Learning
Dianne McAfee Hopkins
One of the primary uses of Library Power funding has been the development or enhancement of school library collections. Collection development during the Library Power grant years is discussed, including the improvement of overall collections. Teachers became more involved in selection and used the collection more in instruction. Contributions of the library collection to instruction are discussed, particularly as the basis for collaboration efforts between the librarian and teachers designed to promote effective teaching and learning in the schools.

Access and Use of Library Resources in Library Power
Douglas L. Zweizig
The Library Power initiative employed flexible access to the library media center and improved library media center space to increase the use of the library's resources in instruction. These changes through Library Power are associated with increased use of the library resources by teachers and improved interactions with library materials for students.

Contributions of Library Power to Collaborations Between Librarians and Teachers
Norman L. Webb and Carol A. Doll
A major goal of Library Power was to increase the collaboration among classroom teachers and librarians. The research reported in this article supports the conclusion that Library Power was successful in achieving this goal. Analysis of data from over 400 schools (including collaboration logs completed by librarians and questionnaires completed by principals, librarians, and teachers) shows that participation in Library Power increased the percentage of schools where teachers and librarians collaborated to plan instruction and to develop the library collection. Library Power also apparently increased the percentage of teachers who collaborated with the librarian in schools where collaboration already existed. Collaborative logs supported the conclusion that library skills were integrated into the curriculum at all grade levels.

A Site-Level Library Power Case Study of Lincoln, Nebraska: Educational Excellence on the Plain
Daniel Callison
This summary of events and impressions from the case study of the Lincoln (Nebraska) Public Schools site examines the major elements present in the community and the educational context prior to and during implementation of the Library Power initiative. A description is provided of the key team members who secured the grant, the educational framework in place to support the initiative, and the new teams and strategies developed to ensure effective implementation of the project. The impact of Library Power not only led to accomplishing the basic objectives, but also resulted in new areas of collaboration among educators and the community beyond pre-award expectations. The Lincoln site possesses a history of educators committed to excellence in the district through longevity of service, caution in adoption of innovation, and systematic planning and evaluation for professional development intended to engage all who might participate.

A Library Power Case Study of Lakeside Elementary School, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Dianne Oberg
The implementation of the Library Power initiative at Lakeside Elementary School, Chattanooga, Tennessee was examined through a case study. The Library Power program was found to have had a positive impact on teaching and learning in the school. The program provided an opportunity to improve the library collection and to develop a process approach to library research. The development of student-centered, resource-based approaches to teaching and learning contributed to improvements in student achievement in measurable ways. The changes in teachers' instructional strategies and in their beliefs about teaching and learning hold promise for continued improvements in student learning. The development of Library Power in Lakeside School was facilitated by strong leadership from the principal and librarian. Library Power built on previous reform efforts that had developed the faculty's capacity for change and growth.

Student Learning in the Library: What Library Power Librarians Say
Carol Collier Kuhlthau
Library Power sought to improve student learning opportunities through enhanced use of an improved library media center. Over the course of the initiative, librarians in Library Power schools were asked to describe meaningful learning experiences for a student or students in their libraries and to explain what made them good learning experiences. The librarians' responses were analyzed for the quality of the learning experience described and for the kinds of indicators cited as evidence of learning. Focused case studies observed how the school library media centers in selected schools provided improved learning opportunities for students.

Student Learning Opportunities Summarize Library Power
Dianne McAfee Hopkins and Douglas L. Zweizig
The Library Power program is examined from the standpoint of student learning opportunities in this article about the evaluation of the Library Power initiative. In addition to summarizing, from a student learning perspective, the findings of earlier articles in the issue, the article adds the areas of staffing, the facility, professional development, as well as curriculum, instruction, and school reform. Major lessons learned from the initiative conclude the article.

Library Power: An International Perspective
Sigrún Klara Hannesdóttir
The goals of the Library Power Program are generally applicable to any school library reform project aiming at increased awareness of the importance of school libraries in an educational setting. Many practical approaches to improving school libraries were tested and found effective during the Library Power program, and these approaches have international relevance. The ideas that were found to be productive and successful in the Library Power program can be imported into other types of schools and settings, even without additional or special funding. However, for this to occur, there must be a commitment from the educational authorities to make this kind of school library work possible and feasible. There must also be a commitment from school librarians to enhance their role in the educational setting through professional development.

Last Updated 17 March 2003 (LAC)