Describes the fundraising efforts of the Torrey Pines High School (California) library through the formation of a Friends of the Library group. Discusses how to form a nonprofit corporation, making the purchase of new books a priority, increasing the library's visibility, and ideas for fundraising events. (LRW)

Discusses the results of the California "Tax Revolt," specifically Proposition 13, on public services. Examines the relationship between declining literacy levels and a lack of library skills; and proposes a program where libraries and schools can work together to restore library funding, adapt library instruction, and promote literacy.…

Just four months ago, a class of 20 first graders at Monarch Academy, a K-5 charter school in Oakland, California, couldn't operate a mouse, much less log in to and operate a digital program. By February, the kids had become capable computer users, able to tackle a range of activities and the Web and ready for the next new thing their…

For those who grew up in Orange County (O.C.), Disneyland is the metaphoric morsel of food that gets stuck between the teeth of someone one does not like. While D-land is a must-see for millions of visitors each year, there is much more to Anaheim. Although O.C. is portrayed on numerous reality TV shows as a mecca for rich white people with…

Describes the development of a project to disseminate information about and provide hands-on experience with personal computers through classes and workshops for both adults and children at the Menlo Park Public Library. Funding and implementation are discussed, as well as how such projects can be started by other libraries. (BK)

Argues that librarians should become politically involved in order to support their library systems. The work of public librarians in Berkeley to get a special tax referendum passed is described, as well as the experiences of school librarians in Contra Costa County in organizing to protect their program. (BK)

Presents ideas for activities geared to children ages seven and up that revolve around the Harry Potter books, based on a Harry Potter Holiday Club developed at the Beverly Hills (California) Public Library. Includes costs, craft activities, theater performances, and games. (LRW)

This article presents Alan Sitomer, an English teacher at Lynwood High School, and how he teaches his students classic literature through hip-hop. These at-risk students attend a severely overcrowded, low-performing school in East Los Angeles that's surrounded by what Sitomer describes as "gangs, guns, and drugs." Prostitutes work the…

As a teenager, the author lived in two worlds: (1) the traditional Bengali heritage inside their home; and (2) the contemporary California of her suburban peers. Sometimes the gap between those two worlds seemed huge. She trudged back and forth between cultures, relying heavily on stories for insight into the secrets and nuances of North American…

On a busy day when school is in session, discussion group members may receive more than 150 messages. If they don't routinely delete a lot of them, their mailboxes can become so full within a few weeks that it's impossible to send or receive messages. This article discusses how media staff can benefit from discussion groups without feeling…

Librarians can help kids expand their view of the world by introducing them to critical literacy. Critical literacy encourages readers to question an author's intentions and to examine issues from multiple perspectives to avoid simplistic statements. It supports a more complex and nuanced understanding of events, recognizing social and political…