Leaders Sharing Media Matters s varied as the schools and What Should Be the communities they serve, A so too are the Web pages for the library media programs that serve on a School Library them. School library media programs and library media specialists are Web Page? resources for teaching and learning. They provide technology, print and nonprint materials, instruction, and organization to help teachers and students access and use information. The school library media Web page is a recent development, but as schools, classrooms, and society have become connected to the Internet, media specialists throughout the world are designing and maintain- ing Web pages for their programs. You will want to begin by fol- lowing some gen- eral guidelines for effective Web design, ensuring that your site is easily navigated by all different types of users and viewable in many dif- ferent browsers. We give more specifi c guidelines in the online supplement, so we can spend our time here talking about Donna and her co-authors discuss the information you may include. Be- essential information, resources, and lieve us, there is no set formula for an links to include when you are creating effective school library media center or revamping your site. (LMC) Web page, but here are some of the things you might include on yours: By Donna Baumbach, Sally • online catalogs for not only your Brewer, and Matt Renfroe school LMC but also other libraries Subject: Information architecture, your students might use curriculum and literacy resources • reference resources and assistance • curriculum connections Technology: Internet/Web • literacy connections • general information about your Supplement: http://www.iste.org/LL/ LMC 46 Learning & Leading with Technology Volume 32 Number 1 Copyright © 2004, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), 1.800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 1.541.302.3777 (Int’l), [email protected], www.iste.org. All rights reserved. Media Matters Online Public Access Catalogs High school students in Advanced Resources such as Infotrac, SIRS, and With the advent of Web-based online Placement or dual-enrollment courses Newsbank not only provide citations catalogs, students and faculty no lon- (courses that provide both high and abstracts but also full text articles ger have to go to the physical library school and college credit) may need with graphics. With 24/7 access, stu- to view the catalog. The window that access to academic libraries. By in- dents can do research any time they fi rst brought a world of information cluding a link to the state’s academic have access to the Internet. into the library is now being used library network, you serve students to share information with those in in these courses and the faculty who Reference Assistance remote locations. Teachers and stu- teach them. If students are able to access reference dents can use their computers to ac- One last link to an online catalog materials on the Internet, they also cess the library’s collection 24/7. They that may be useful for teachers and may need reference assistance. This can fi nd the items they need, deter- their students is a link to the state could include tips for planning their mine if the items are available, and library’s catalog. Although these searches, using Boolean operators, or put a hold on them. In many cases, libraries were created to support gov- evaluating Web sites. Library guides they can even manage their accounts ernment offi cials, their collections are or “how-to” sheets on the LMC’s Web by checking due dates and renewing often available to the general public. page provide assistance when you are items online. not available. One resource that is a If information is expanding expo- Reference Resources favorite with students is Citation nentially, however, so are students’ Do you keep your Internet browser Machine, which helps them create and teachers’ needs for it. School open so that you can fi nd answers correct reference citations. For stu- LMC budgets cannot keep pace, so quickly even when you are working dents who don’t need answers imme- linking to other online catalogs and in other programs? Have you replaced diately, include an e-mail link to the sharing resources with other schools your print reference resources with reference desk. and library consortia can help with ones on the Internet? We have. And both problems. If the school LMC is more important, students have. Ac- Curriculum Connections a member of a larger database—such cording to a September 2001 study Because the school LMC and its as district or state catalogs—make by the Pew Internet & American Life collection support the curriculum, sure you include a link to that re- Project, 94% of youth ages 12–17 your school library media Web page source to provide teachers and who have Internet access say they use should be an extension of that. Many students with access to materials in the Internet for school research and library media Web sites provide links other libraries. (Editor’s note: Find 78% say they believe the Internet to current and relevant resources for this and other URLs under resources helps them with schoolwork. standards and benchmarks included on p. 51.) They can then request the You should include links to both in teacher’s lesson plans. Library materials they need using an inter- free and subscription-based reference media specialists extend collabora- library loan form, which you could resources on the Internet—after you tive efforts with classroom teachers make available on the Web site. This review them, of course. Although during a particular unit of study by enables students to access materials many of the high-quality electronic helping to locate and link to relevant wherever they exist, helps save dol- resources are fee-based, there also are online resources for students. Start by lars at the local school, and provides a number of reliable free resources, identifying and using keywords from a service tailored to each individual’s including not only traditional refer- objectives, benchmarks, and standards needs. ence resources (e.g., bibliographies, as starting points, or using popular Because the mission of the school encyclopedias, geographical resources, educational Web resources such as LMC is to support the school’s curric- biographical resources, “ready refer- Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators ulum, its collection usually is focused ence,” government documents), but or Knowledge Network Explorer’s on that goal. The collection may also Web sites where students can Blue Web’n to fi nd recommended include some books and magazines contact experts in various fi elds or and reviewed sites. Some online cata- related to students’ personal interests. receive help with their writing. logs also include selected Web sites. To provide a broader range of materi- Most of the indexes that were once One way to help teachers and stu- als, include a link to the local public in print or on CD-ROM are now dents is to organize sites by subject library. available on the Internet for a fee. area, by department or teacher, or September 2004 Learning & Leading with Technology 47 Copyright © 2004, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), 1.800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 1.541.302.3777 (Int’l), [email protected], www.iste.org. All rights reserved. Media Matters even by Dewey number like the rest International Association of School can I talk to about a research project? of the collection. Librarians maintains a “Today Is…” These are all questions that undoubt- You may also include links just for page of resources to help connect edly will arise, and you can easily teachers, such as links to subject area curriculum to celebrations.) answer them online. professional resources and standards, • Featuring study tips and tricks that A section about the library might lesson plan databases, government re- will help students and teachers. For contain the hours of operation, con- sources for teaching and learning, and example, before high-stakes test- tact information (including the ad- technology tools (e.g., quiz, puzzle, ing, describe things students can do dress for those viewing the site from and Web page generators). before and during the test to ease off-campus), a link to your school's Finally, you can get teachers and anxiety and improve performance. home page, and information about students to help with reviewing sites • Providing links to Web sites that the staff. Pictures of the media center by including a form to suggest a cur- will reinforce classroom efforts and and staff share its character and help riculum-related Web site. Also include student achievement in vocabulary introduce those working in the media tips for evaluating Web sites to help development, comprehension, writ- center. This makes it easier for teach- students think critically about the in- ing, speaking, listening, informa- ers and students to identify those formation they fi nd on their own. tion literacy, and research. who can help with research and other • Describing school reading programs projects. You could include a map Literacy such as Accelerated Reader, Reading (with Dewey numbers marked) and a Because today’s school LMCs grew Counts, and Read 180, and show- virtual tour to acclimate students to out of school libraries, and because ing how the school library media the physical location. If students al- reading is so important to the cur- collection and services play an inte- ready know where to look for materi- riculum, reading and literacy continue gral part in those programs. als, they will have more confi dence in to be central to the LMC mission. • Highlighting authors of children’s their information literacy skills.