Librarians seldom give enough thought to the needs of potential Web-site visitors. Few librarians, for example, stop to consider how they can make their sites easy to use or more attractive. As a result, many sites have awful color schemes, hard-to-find navigation buttons, inappropriate font sizes, and confusing layouts. No wonder they don't…

Describes selected commercial and academic Web sites providing interactive services (Amazon; Jones Library, Amherst, MA; Pine Crest Lower School, Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Barnes & Noble; Cal State's Information Literacy Tutorials; PBS's techknow site; K.I.D.S. Report), and argues that libraries that stop at links and policy statements miss…

With budgets threatened in schools nationwide, students, parents, and educators have begun to realize that they cannot wait around for state or national organizations to act. Web applications have made grassroots advocacy a lot easier, and homegrown efforts on behalf of libraries have sprung up across the country via blogs, wikis, Facebook, and…

This article presents an interview with Paolo Bacigalupi, a rising sci-fi star who has walked away with the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and, most recently, the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature--the Young Adult Library Services Association's top prize for prose. That's pretty impressive for a guy who's published…

Blogs and the whole gamut of interactive, Web-based tools are redefining how we connect with people and content on the Internet. This is the widely discussed next step known as Web 2.0, a truly revolutionary concept in which pervasive interactivity, where multitudes of users online actively exchange or contribute content, will transform the very…

Examines Web sites on the Internet that were created especially for teenagers by various public libraries. Highlights include young adult areas and services in actual library buildings; a list of outstanding teen Web sites; and a list of factors to consider when creating a young adult Web page. (LRW)

Today's new media tools are incredibly powerful communication vehicles that allow organizations to connect and engage with many different audiences. With more than seven million users, Twitter is growing at an annual rate of 1,382 percent, Facebook boasts over 250 million active members, and aspiring writers have started more than 133 million…

Discusses how librarians can evaluate information obtained from the World Wide Web. Sources of reviews are described, explanations for 22 evaluation criteria along with an example are included, and the future of Web evaluation is considered. (LRW)

Presents a regional comparison of school library programs, collections, and services. Highlights include education and training of media specialists; planning; funding sources and priorities; collection size; local expenditures; resources, including access to the Internet, videos, and CD-ROMs; computers and technology; and responsibility for Web…

This year's "School Library Journal's" spending survey showed that, despite the recession, the vast majority of media centers around the country have retained their credentialed media specialists. For example, almost 85% of elementary schools and more than 95% of middle and high schools have a full-time certified librarian. In addition, salaries…

Screencasts are videos that record the actions that take place on the computer screen, most often including a narrative audio track, in order to demonstrate various computer-related tasks, such as how to use a software program or navigate a certain Web site. All that is needed is a standard microphone and screen recording software, which can be…

According to the 2003 National School Climate Survey, a biannual study by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, an organization which ensures safe schools for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) students, only 50 percent of students say they have access to community LGBT Web sites, such as Parents, Families, and Friends of…

This article presents findings from the School Library Journal's 2006 national technology survey that investigated the trend in today's library media centers. As this study demonstrates, technology continues to be a significant aspect of K-12 media centers. Despite restricted funding and schedules stretched to the limit, media specialists have…

Fully 57 percent of youth online watch videos, according to a Pew Internet & American Life study. And more and more are creating and sharing clips of their own making. With online engagement such an integral part of their world, Washington state's King County Library System (KCLS) decided to meet kids on their own turf by launching…

Describes the use of search engines to search the World Wide Web for homework or reference questions in libraries. Subject directories, basic engines, and metaengines are discussed; examples of useful homework-oriented Web site directories are given; and suggestions for reference work are listed. (LRW)