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The structural inequalities perpetuated by the caste system are a grave challenge to creating a just society. The education system pays short shrift to this topic and caste discrimination is spoken about without holding caste privilege accountable. Historically, social justice is a core mission of libraries. This project worked closely with a selective sample of seven library educators--most with caste privilege--to (a) examine their knowledge, attitudes and practices on caste issues through reading caste literature, reflective discussions and introspective journaling and (b) understand their preparedness to engage in discussions on caste with children from privileged backgrounds. Children's responses to caste-themed stories and library activities showed a readiness to engage with the topic. This study found that a more robust pedagogy for the privileged is needed to face caste.

Student difficulty in public administration has witnessed some writings within the African context. Although these studies are emerging, there seems to be minimal research on the influence of school libraries on students' understanding of public administration. This gap in the public administration literature precludes educational managers from determining whether or not the variable influences students understanding of the course/programme. Not establishing this places educational managers in a situation that inhibits them from placing measures to enhance the understanding of the course from the lenses of school libraries. This study responds to the gap in the public administration literature by employing a mixed-method approach to investigate the influence of the variable in the study of public administration by Ghanaian and Nigerian university students using a sample of N = 650. Anchored on the Culturo-Techno- Contextual Approach, the study results suggest "significant differences in corruption, governance, and defining public administration" (p < 0.001) when there are poor school libraries. Both theoretical and practical implications have been proferred for the use of school libraries to enhance students' understanding of difficult concepts in the study of public administration in Ghanaian and Nigerian universities.

Books for and in schools are commodities. They form a central part of the political economy of publishing. They are also, profoundly, sites of cultural and ideological conflict. While always there, there are periods when these economic and ideological conflicts are even more powerful. This is just such a time. This reality asks us to also examine places in school buildings that might (often wrongly) seem to some people to be "less important." Among these places is the school library as a resource, a teaching device, an access point to things seen as controversial, a mirror of conflicts and economic and political transformations, and for many students, at times a sanctuary. American Public School Librarianship: A History provides us with a richly sourced account of the development of a key pedagogic site in schools and of many of the personal, institutional, and political reasons why they do-and do not do-certain things.

Early nutrition supplementation's effect on children's reading ability was assessed during the conduct of the study. The study methodology followed children who participated in an early nutrition supplementation intervention and conducted a reading test to measure how well the children read. The effect of school resource endowment on student reading ability was assessed. School resources as a lead effect on variations in reading performance through a fixed effect regression model was discounted and confirmed that early nutrition supplementation explains variations in reading performance. However, it was found that school resources accessibility on factors such as library availability and access to reading textbooks post classroom lessons to children complements the acquisition of reading skills in children. The policy implication from the findings calls for the domestication of reading curricula and leveraging the children's nutrition to sustain reading gains.

Teachers want their students to have access to the books they need to fall in love with reading, which means having classroom and school libraries stocked with a wide variety of books. But as English teachers are well aware, Texas leads the nation in book challenges and bans. This article defines and describes the different forms of censorship and includes extensive information and resources to support classroom teachers as they prepare for and respond to book challenges, including building allies and staying in tune with organizations that provide support. The authors conclude by describing how book challenges are the current reality and that we must work toward and remain hopeful for a future in which diverse classroom libraries abound.

As a part of a larger study titled, First Years Meet the Frames, this work explores the perceptions of first-generation students (FGS) on their readiness for college-level research as well as their first-year college experience with libraries and librarians. Although, by definition, these students lack the cultural capital normally derived from parents who went to college in order to readily assimilate into higher education institutions, depending on their high school experiences, they may be able to build social capital. Accordingly, this article investigates such opportunities which lie in high schools with strong library programs that have a full-time certified librarian working in alignment with the national school library standards of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). It addresses what aspects of this preparation facilitate the development of social capital and follows FGS into the first year of college to see how they continue to build it. It also compares FGS to their continuing generation student (CGS) counterparts from the same high schools. Findings show that FGS can build social capital via these high school library programs and continue to leverage their high school experiences and skill sets in order to create new networks and to tackle college-level research during the first year of college. FGS demonstrate similar preparedness and similar confidence in research abilities as their CGS counterparts.

Critical representation in literature and curricula requires an emancipatory agenda and examination of the ways in which people of diverse racial, cultural, linguistic, and other socially marginalized identities are portrayed, an assessment of how relevant, affirming, and accurate those representations are, and a consideration of the impact on a child's sense of self and 'other.' This essay includes sample audit criteria for critical representation highlighting five sections: Storyline & Sense of Justice; Affirmation & Self-Worth; Relationships Among People; Author/Illustrator Background; and Language & Terminology, all with a focus on 'mattering' and holistic wellbeing of students of the global majority. Audit criteria explicitly engage questions of critical race theory such as: Does the storyline encourage passive acceptance of inequity, or active resistance against it? Are there messages that limit or damage a child's aspirations or sense of self-worth? The essay concludes with examples of how practitioners are using the audit criteria to identify strengths, needs, and opportunities to improve their practice.

Computational thinking (CT) has emerged as an important method in the United States for helping children learn to solve complex problems and develop skills necessary for coding and other computer science-related endeavors. Research has revealed that CT can be encouraged with children as young as 3-4 years of age. While some preschools and schools are incorporating CT into their curriculum for young children, ages 0-8 years, it is important to understand how environments outside of schools are using CT with young children, particularly given that, in the United States, a large percent of young children, ages 0-5 years, are not in formal school settings. This study provides insight into this area through 20 interviews with educators in libraries and museums to understand how they incorporate CT into their work with young children, ages 0-8 years, and their families. The interviews reveal that library and museum educators are using a variety of developmentally-appropriate approaches, such as play, experimentation, and narrative, to design and offer a diverse array of engaging, hands-on CT activities that allow young children to practice CT in child-centered, meaningful ways.

Computational thinking is an essential 21st-century skill that all youth should develop in order to navigate and succeed in an increasingly computational world. For all youth to have hands-on opportunities to develop essential computational thinking skills, libraries and informal learning environments play a critical role. This is especially true for youth who attend schools where computational learning opportunities are limited or altogether absent. This article presents an analysis of responses from 59 library staff members to the following questions: What is computational thinking? How is computational thinking being facilitated in libraries? And, what are the goals of the computational thinking programs being offered by libraries? The analysis reveals the multifaceted ways that library staff conceptualize computational thinking and the range of ways computational thinking is being integrated into library programs. This work advances our understanding of the current state of computational thinking in libraries. In doing so, we seek to guide library staff on ways to support the computational thinking learning that is currently happening and create new ways to help bring the powerful ideas of computing to broader audiences.

A literacy festival is one of the most effective ways to promote reading and fosters the idea that books make a difference, especially to under-supported students. This paper is based on a research study that focused on how a university literacy festival supported engagement and increased reading attitudes and habits for students of Title I schools. It also explores a longitudinal study that analyzed a university's literacy festival and its impact on students, librarians, teachers, children's authors, teacher candidates, and librarians from Title I schools in southwest Florida. The findings of this study suggest that a university literacy festival helps connect children with books, which can help promote a lifelong love of reading and writing. A university literacy festival featuring a variety of diverse authors presenting interactive workshops showcasing their literary craft enabled students from Title I schools to engage with the authors and to see themselves as writers and encouraged them to explore a university in their own backyard. This university literacy festival made a positive impact in the area of engagement in reading and found an increase in reading from students from Title I schools that attended the event. [Note: The page range (9-22) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct page range for this article is p9-21.]

The goal of this study was to understand how school librarians and classroom teachers co-teach to facilitate learner-centered instruction, including inquiry and maker learning. Research was conducted through interviews and field observations over three years. In this study, the participating school librarians and teachers worked together throughout the instructional processes--from planning to implementing to assessing. A significant piece of the co-teaching occurred through co-planning, both prior to and throughout the units. During implementation of the units, the school librarians led instruction, provided individual coaching, and assisted with classroom management. The educators collaborated on both formative and summative assessments, before, during, and at the end of the units. The school librarians used various instructional methods grounded in cognitive apprenticeship, such as scaffolding, modeling, mentoring, and coaching. The educators brought differing expertise to the co-teaching relationships. The classroom teachers were the content-area experts, and the librarians' expertise included the processes, approaches, and technologies for the inquiry and maker learning. In these areas, the librarians mentored and scaffolded the classroom teachers. These co-teaching relationships evolved over time, as the teachers gained experience in inquiry and maker learning. The findings suggest librarian-teacher co-teaching significantly facilitates learner-centered instruction in schools.

The purpose of this study was to examine variables related to teachers' perceptions of the impact of a one-to-one laptop program on learning. The participants were fifty-three high school teachers who taught at a school with a one-to-one laptop program. A mixed-methods design was implemented using a survey designed to determine the teachers' self-reported level of technology adoption, demographic variables, professional development needs, and perception of the impact of one-to-one laptop availability on student academic performance. Findings indicate that most teachers identified themselves as Early Majority Adopters. A significant relationship was not found between the demographic variables and the participants' perception of their level of technology adoption. An increase in the participants' self-perceived level of technology adoption was positively related to their belief that students' academic performance improved with the use of laptops. In addition, there was a significant positive relationship between the participants' belief that they had adequate professional development for incorporating the laptops in instruction and learning, and the belief that laptops assisted students with improving the quality of their work. While the findings are not generalizable, results suggest that school librarians must support one-to-one device implementation through student training, teacher professional development, and ongoing technical support.

This study used qualitative methodology based on focus group interviews to explore school librarians' involvement during the move to online teaching and learning contexts. Findings indicate these educators felt underutilized because of stakeholder misperceptions of their roles. However, most school librarians in the study reported creating informal communities of practice to support teachers and students through innovative responses to online learning demands caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study examined how school librarians spent their own money to support their libraries during the 2020-2021 school year in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the various factors that influence this spending. Using mixed methods, this study identified demographic information about the participants and schools served, personal spending practices, perspectives on the need for personal spending, and local school policies related to library funding that impacted out-of-pocket spending. The major findings of this study indicate that school librarians used their own money to purchase books, decorations, prizes, office supplies, and cleaning supplies. Librarians used their own money to meet student needs, to get what was needed quickly and conveniently, to obtain items for which they were not allowed to spend school money, and to avoid dealing with time-consuming purchasing and reimbursement processes--if reimbursement was even an option. School librarians also spent their own money because library budgets were eliminated, reduced, or frozen during the pandemic. In addition, school librarians who spent the most of their own money worked in rural areas with a higher proportion of students who qualify for free/reduced lunch. School librarians who were over 60, unmarried, or had lower library budgets spent more of their own money on their libraries than did other study participants.

School libraries are supplementary places enabling students to acquire reading habits and reading culture. The purpose of this study is to determine the status of libraries in schools and to take the opinions of teachers towards school libraries. For this purpose, a case study design has been utilized in the current research and observation and interview techniques have been employed. In the research, the libraries of all schools in a city centre have been observed. Through stratified purposeful sampling and criterion sampling methods, interviews were carried out with teachers working in school libraries. The research data were analysed via content analysis. As a result of the research, it was determined that two-thirds of the schools had libraries. Besides, it was revealed that the capacity of the school libraries is inadequate due to the limited physical space of the libraries in schools. Although there were computers and the internet in libraries, digitalization was determined to be limited. It was also shown that there were mostly classical works and the libraries covered inadequate number of contemporary books. When examining the genres of the books in libraries, it may be said that there were novels and story book by a majority, referring to a limited variety of genres. It has been concluded that students can not effectively use school libraries as expected due to by virtue of the limited library facilities. Accordingly, in order to ensure the effective use of school libraries by students, the physical conditions of the libraries should be improved as well as the variety and quality of the documents should be increased.

As a career development tool, career mentoring is an important way to gain new skills, knowledge, competence, and other resources from an experienced colleague who is in the same profession. This study examined how career mentoring influences career orientation and career engagement among Nigerian rural secondary school librarians. This quantitative study gathered data from 42 librarians at selected rural secondary schools. Career mentoring significantly influences career orientation and career engagement of librarians, according to the results. A positive relationship was observed between career mentoring experience and career orientation and engagement as well as job skills among librarians. Additionally, career orientation and career engagement were shown to be significantly correlated with one another and with librarian job skills. Consequently, it is recommended that school librarians' career advancement be promoted through the development and implementation of a career mentoring program.

The purpose of this study is to describe the experiences of St. Scholastica's College Manila High School librarians in implementing library online services during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The researcher used a descriptive research design and employed Document Analysis and Thematic Analysis vis-a-vis the respondents' answers on the electronic questionnaires. It was revealed, through this study, that the roles and responsibilities of the SSC Manila HS librarians were technologists, online learning support professionals, instructional partners, and game-based learning developers. On the other hand, they experienced challenges such as having limited transactions and time constraints in delivering library online services and the opportunities of having proactive team culture and providing appropriate and innovative services to their clientele. With these findings, the following are recommended for better library online services of the school libraries and librarians. First, librarians and staff's technical competencies and skills must continuously be honed. Second, the library's online services must also be evaluated annually by the students and faculty members. Third, the librarians and staff must explore more technological applications or apps and learning management systems. Lastly, further research studies are recommended in relation also to delivering library online services that can be in the contexts of other types of libraries, most especially their experiences so that there will be a deeper and bigger understanding of the roles and responsibilities, and the challenges and opportunities of librarians during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

School space plays an essential role in creating a pleasurable learning atmosphere. The tendency of everyone to choose a school space also varies. By knowing this trend pattern, schools can be designed to improve student learning effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to find out which school spaces students choose to study, what kind of room criteria are needed, and distribution patterns of students' preference choices. This research used both the qualitative exploratory and quantitative methods using an open-ended question questionnaire for data collection. Data analysis techniques used qualitative analysis methods consisting of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The results showed that the library, mosque, and multimedia laboratory were the most preferred space for students to study at school. Some factors that influence the selection include thermal comfort, completeness of supporting facilities, and acoustic comfort.

The purpose of this research is to make a detailed examination of the school culture and its effects on the academic achievement of students. In this research that has been carried out within the framework of the qualitative research approach, the answers have been sought to be found to the questions "What is school culture?", "What are the effects of school culture on academic achievement?" and "What should be done at school to create a strong and positive culture?" The study group of this research consists of 12 students determined using a maximum variation sampling technique which is one of the purposeful sampling techniques and studying at a high school within the scope of the Ministry of National Education. Data were collected by a semi-structured interview method. The data collected were analyzed by a descriptive analysis technique. The participant students have expressed that the school culture means the behaviors at school, the background and successes of school, circle of friends, school uniforms and social activities. Moreover, the students have stated that the school culture has effects on the achievement of students in terms of motivation (will to study), sense of competition and their development in all respects. Lastly, the participants have offered some suggestions like the number of social activities should be increased; laboratories should be used actively and improvements should be made at the library in terms of number and contents of books; relations, attitudes and behaviors between teachers and students should be regulated and school trips should be organized concerning the creation of a strong and positive culture at school. In line with the findings, the researchers have concluded that school culture has a positive and strong effect on the academic achievement of students. Therefore, suggestions that would improve the school culture should be put into practice.

In this article, the author examines how school librarianship has changed, but also remained the same over time. School librarians consistently hold to core values of collaboration, learning, equity and inclusion, access and literacy amidst changes in the landscape--technology, materials, school expectations, and student needs.

In this article, the author examines how libraries have evolved and argues that they have not fundamentally changed. While the library spaces that students work in have changed, the lessons being learned fundamentally have not. Students still learn to find source materials, research, write, construct projects, create reference lists, and complete assessments. However, they were also learn new skills to work effectively in the new environment: using the online catalog and library databases, using word processing to write papers, creating digital presentations, making digital charts and graphs, communicating via e-mail, and selecting credible sources from the myriad available on the Web. The author argues that the fundamental role of the school librarian as instructional partner, teacher, leader, information specialist, and program administrator has not changed.

Disabled girls of color have unique intersectional schooling experiences. Yet, they are underrepresented in educational research, and often unheard. Grounded in Disability Critical Race Theory and sociocultural learning theory, this study expands current understandings of how academic and social opportunities are afforded or constrained in schools for disabled girls of color from their perspectives. Through their narratives, photographs, and maps, focal participants in middle and high school described how social and spatial practices interacted with texts and technologies and in doing so, positively and negatively impacted their literacy opportunities at school. This study adds to the current literature with an intentional focus on the gifts, strengths, and solutions of disabled girls of color. Implications for future research (e.g. conducting student-led photovoice research with disabled girls of color) and generative teacher practices (e.g. using photovoice to learn about student experiences and make pedagogical changes) are discussed.

After many years working as a public school educator and school librarian, it is evident to the author that the relationships librarians cultivate with school library stakeholders--students, teachers, staff members, administrators, families, and community members--are the most critical ingredient to creating and maintaining vibrant modern-day school libraries. This article discusses how to create a human-centered library that emphasizes the value of relationships, librarians can focus on five areas in their school libraries: (1) space; (2) collection; (3) instruction; (4) programming; and (5) self-care.

How does the legacy of school librarianship inform the future of school librarians as teachers? Librarians have engaged in a long and productive struggle to transform teaching and learning. This article discusses the complicated history and internal contradictions of the profession including: (1) librarian certification; (2) school library goals are not supported by education policy, governance, and structure; and (3) professional organization goals of information literacy not "reading for pleasure."

Teachers and school librarians know that giving students the freedom to choose what to read from a variety of materials is the most effective way to foster a love of reading. Curiosity, pre-existing interests, or even a desire for connection cause students to reach for books that inform instead of entertain. But a genre of books is often left out of a school library's nonfiction collection: cookbooks. Of all the strategies used by teachers and school librarians to promote reading, finding a topic of common interest is one of the most effective. Because we all eat, cookbooks and stories about food are sure to entice readers of all ages. Everyone has a personal connection with food. Educators can take advantage of that fact. Culinary literacy resources are abundant in a variety of formats and can be used to support teachers and students across multiple disciplines.

Over the last few decades, school libraries have undergone a tremendous transformation. The technological age has ushered in a new type of library where online databases are king for research, students are issued their own laptops in one-to-one districts, and the integration of technology into the school environment has become a major initiative in most schools. Consequently, librarians across the country have been faced with the idea that they must pivot to remain relevant in the school environment. Today the job of a school library professional looks very different from those of the past. These days, libraries have 3D printers, Raspberry Pi computers, laser engravers, and sewing machines available for students. Librarians provide Cricut machines and teach collaborative lessons with Bee-Bot robots and Makey Makey kits. School libraries are still the campus source for information and research, but now they are also emerging as community centers, safe spaces, and SEL (social-emotional learning) support locations.

An increasingly important element of the learning journey for children around the world is the vital role school libraries play in supporting literacy, health, and wellbeing, as well as improving attainment across the curriculum. The Scottish Government established the School Library Improvement Fund (SLIF) administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC). Supporting creative and innovative projects, the Fund is available to all state-run nurseries, primary schools, and secondary schools and is part of a range of measures put in place to improve and invest in Scotland's school library facilities. This article discusses how the SLIF: (1) plays an important role in helping school library services achieve the key aims of "Vibrant Libraries, Thriving Schools"--the national strategy for the development of school libraries in Scotland; and (2) supported over 30 projects throughout Scotland--many championing inclusion and development, paramount during the difficult pandemic learning period.

Information literacy is a crucial topic in the library science profession. The information needs and perceptions of the information literacy of preservice and early-career school librarians were explored in this research using a survey and interviews distributed nationally over a 5-month time frame. These participants, who have been employed in the field for 5 years or less or are currently completing coursework, were queried about their perceptions of information literacy and how the profession had changed through the course of their graduate work and early-career experiences. Participants felt well prepared and believed their schooling met their need for information in the areas of readers' advisory and the use of copyright and fair use and for for teaching these topics to students. They also reported that they were well prepared for teaching with educational technology. Participants were least prepared in the area of facilitation of classroom teacher/school librarian collaborations, even though this aspect of their library school experience was highly emphasized. Once graduates were in a library position, they met their information needs by reaching out to mentors, more experienced school librarians, and their professional learning community.

Data collected from a study of school libraries in Massachusetts provide source material that identifies barriers and enablers related to equitable access and meaningful use of school library resources and services. These quantitative and qualitative survey data supplied by school librarians across rural, urban, and suburban schools describe staffing, resources, instruction, and funding which suggest barriers and enablers related to equitable access and meaningful use. An in-depth analysis reveals underlying factors that determine policies and practices such as traditional library values, educational beliefs, and social justice principles that are operational in the access and use of school libraries.

The School Librarian Investigation--Decline or Evolution? (SLIDE) project is a federally funded study of the almost 20% national decline in the number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) of school librarians between 2015 and 2019, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. In this update to the project's original research, school librarian employment data for the 2020-2021 school year were examined for 12,537 school districts and associated with district characteristics (poverty, locale, and district enrollment) and student demographics (race and ethnicity). Data supported previous findings that access to school librarians is strongly related to race and ethnicity and further exacerbated for students living in extreme poverty, in more-isolated locales, and in the smallest districts--locales where students are less likely to have access to the educational resources available in large urban areas. In school year 2021, 3 million students in majority nonwhite districts were without any librarians; they were 54% of the 5.6 million students in all districts without any librarians during the COVID-19 pandemic. The gap between students in districts with a "library privilege" and those without librarians continues to widen.

This paper investigated constraints associated with biology teaching and learning materials in selected schools in the Central Region of Ghana. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the classroom implementation of biology curriculum. A cross-sectional descriptive survey design was used for the study. The target population comprised 187 biology teachers and 7790 second year biology students in all the 58 public senior high schools that offered elective biology during the 2016/2017 academic year. The accessible population however consisted of 4500 second year biology students drawn from 21 schools. The final sample comprised 106 biology teachers and 354 biology students. Factor analysis was used to perform inferential analysis and draw conclusions on the research questions. Resources for teaching and learning biology was inadequate in all schools visited. Most teachers did not organise practical activities regularly and this affected some profile dimensions suggested by the teaching curriculum. It is recommended that only qualified and experienced teachers should be employed to handle senior high school students in order to build a good and strong foundation for them.

The last ten years in school library research reflect an expanded definition of information literacy along with a stronger emphasis on in-depth information literacy development, concluding that a fundamental shift in instruction provided by school librarians is needed; one that not only helps students find information, but develops students' abilities to interact with, and learn from information, engaging with it in critical ways. Collaboratively designed and implemented through an instructional partnership between the school librarian and a classroom teacher, Guided Inquiry instruction helps students gain meaningful understanding and develop a personal perspective by exploring, comparing, and contrasting multiple information sources. Despite the frequently touted benefits of instructional partnerships between school librarians and classroom teachers, these structures are rarely, if ever, modeled by school library and pre-service teacher educators. This study examined the process and challenges inherit in designing and modeling Guided Inquiry units of instruction, through a school librarian instructional partnership model, in pre-service teacher education, exploring its impact on teacher candidate willingness to identify school librarians as co-teachers. Findings from the present study indicate Guided Inquiry units co-taught by school library educators and teacher educators help teacher candidates both successfully navigate the research process and develop a mental model of the school librarian as a co-teacher.

Academic libraries, apart from their main function, which is to provide information services to academic communities, may also perform a number of social roles in the broad meaning of the term. Accordingly, they now tend to serve as the third place offering inclusion and animation activities to academic as well as local communities (including potential students) and to groups in risk of social exclusion (immigrants, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, etc.) or in need of various kinds of care and support. However, for libraries to be able to fulfil those tasks, they need properly trained staff who not only have the required competencies but also the right social attitudes. The paper presents an analysis of the social attitudes of academic librarians from twenty countries across the world as compared to the personnel of other types of libraries. The level of individual social capital, activity in social networks, aspirations in life and social and civic engagement were investigated. It was noted that the respondents tend to undervalue the importance of the work done by libraries for local communities. At the same time, the research showed that academic librarians have a somewhat lower level of individual social capital and trust than public librarians and less extensive social networks. Nonetheless, they are open to relationships with others, which enables them to engage in various social projects.