Internet

I searched WebCrawler for websites related to school librarians/school library media specialists/secondary education. The site I chose to add to my blog is The American Association of School Librarians.

This is a very useful site, especially to someone new to the field. I especially liked the definition of a School Library Media Specialist:

1. "As teacher, the library media specialist collaborates with students and other members of the learning community to analyze learning and information needs, to locate and use resources that will meet those needs, and to understand and communicate the information the resources provide".

2. "As instructional partner, the library media specialist joins with teachers and others to identify links across student information needs, curricular content, learning outcomes, and a wide variety of print, nonprint, and electronic information resources".

3. "As information specialist, the library media specialist provides leadership and expertise in acquiring and evaluating information resources in all formats; in bringing an awareness of information issues into collaborative relationships with teachers, administrators, students, and others; and in modeling for students and others strategies for locating, accessing, and evaluating information within and beyond the library media center".

4. "As program administrator, the library media specialist works collaboratively with members of the learning community to define the policies of the library media program and to guide and direct all activities related to it".

(Excerpted from Chapter 1, "The Vision," of Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning. Copyright © 1998 American Library Association and Association for Educational Communications and Technology. ISBN 0-8389-3470-6.)

Other helpful elements of this website include links to resource guides and toolkits for the school librarian, electronic discussion lists, relevant publications and journals, and information about upcoming conferences and events. The AASL has been a division of the American Library Association since 1951.

The site itself is easy to navigate and has a search feature. Links to career and advocacy issues also help to make this a "one-stop" location for the school library media specialist.

Image courtesy of School Library Journal, www.schoollibraryjournal.com/.../CA6492064.html, accessed 22 November, 2008.