Reading Places: Literacy, Democracy and the Public Library in Cold War America

Review of: "Reading Places: Literacy, Democracy and the Public Library in Cold War America," by Christine Pawley, part of the book series "Studies in Print Culture and the History of the Book.

Discerning users of information: A qualitative analysis of student inquiry

A shift is needed in information and digital literacy instruction and assessment led by elementary and secondary school librarians with an emphasis on the evaluation of information sources. The need is in response to widespread societal sharing of mis- and disinformation related to political news including the politicizing of scientific understandings of a disease and the ensuing distrust of the messages of public health officials during the COVID-19 global pandemic. In this article, I create an instructional framework for information evaluation that is grounded in data derived from a qualitative content analysis of published research, standards, and theoretical perspectives and that is confirmed using data derived from examples of middle school students\u27 inquiry research. Three overarching themes resulted from the analysis: blend media and research skills throughout the curriculum, ground information evaluation skills within a guided inquiry information process approach, and embed information evaluation skills in every grade and subject so they are taught beyond the context of news

Impact of a Less Restrictive Circulation Policy in an Elementary Library

School communities and educational standards clearly recognize that reading is a foundational skill for all learners. In light of this, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL, 2010) notes the critical position of teacher librarians to partner with other educators to promote literacy and provide opportunities for library use. Specifi cally, school libraries are charged with providing “open, non-restricted access to a varied high quality collection of reading materials in multiple formats that refl ect academic needs and personal interests” (para. 6). AASL (2011) supports open access through fl exible scheduling in the library to give students access to materials throughout the school day. The theory behind this position statement posits that the more students read (in both variety and quantity of text), the better readers they become (Krashen, 2004). Research in support of self-selected reading shows that student access to a school library of at least 500 books is associated with higher reading scores (Krashen, 2011, p. 29). Krashen ( 2011) makes a compelling argument for providing greater attention and support to libraries: “The obvious practical implication is that if we are serious about encouraging literacy development, we need to be serious about providing access to reading material” and provide more than “lip service to improving libraries” (p. 28). One aspect of providing greater access to reading material is increasing borrowing privileges. The current study examines how a change in library policy to reduce restrictions on borrowing privileges impacts students’ actual borrowing habits and the loss of books. Teacher librarians who use restrictive circulation policies of one book at a time inhibit students’ access to books, potentially undermining their reading growth. Sadly, the majority of teacher librarians, 71% of respondents in one Iowa survey, allowed kindergarteners to check out only one library book at a time (Johnson & Donham, 2012). Fortunately, 36% of those respondents said they decided to raise their borrowing limits after the survey. However, national K–12 level data reveal policies that limit students’ access to books. An informal online poll administered by Library Media Connection showed that 33% of the teacher librarians who responded said they limited their students to one or two books at a time; an additional 36% limited students to three or four books (“One Question Survey,” 2009). These limitations counter best practices established through research that emphasizes the need for expanded exposure to books in order to support reading growth (AASL, 2010; ALA, 1996; Allington, 2014; Krashen, 2004; Krashen, Lee, & McQuillan, 2012)

Reading Promotion Events Recommended for Elementary Students

One of the major professional goals of teacher librarians is to teach students a love of reading, so that they will independently choose to read throughout their lives

When Adults Talk in Circles: Book Groups and Contemporary Reading Practices

252 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007.This study posits a metaphor with which to articulate the otherwise nebulous aspects of group reading, offers vocabulary for describing book group activities thereby enabling real rather than stereotypical representations on which to base expectations for club outcomes, extends reader response theory, and has professional implications for readers' advisors, literacy educators and sponsors of local and mass reading events.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD

When Adults Talk in Circles: Book Groups and Contemporary Reading Practices

252 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007.This study posits a metaphor with which to articulate the otherwise nebulous aspects of group reading, offers vocabulary for describing book group activities thereby enabling real rather than stereotypical representations on which to base expectations for club outcomes, extends reader response theory, and has professional implications for readers' advisors, literacy educators and sponsors of local and mass reading events.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD