LMS+HOT+TOPICS

=Library Media Specialist Hot Topics =

**Earth Day and Reading**
The initiative works with kids across the country, grades K through 8, to promote environmental awareness and to develop a greater appreciation for nature throughout the month of April. In honor of Earth Day, Reading for the Earth™ asks kids to borrow and read environmentally themed books from their school libraries. The purpose of the campaign is twofold: to educate youth about the environment, and to inspire them to read books more often. All of the necessary program materials to run the campaign have been developed and are completely free to use. []
 * "Reading for the Earth"**

=Documents - AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner= [|Standards for the 21st Century Learner] [|Standards for the 21st Century Learner in Action] [|Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs]
 * [|AASL Learning4Life] -** a national plan for implementation of //Standards for the 21st Century Learner//

[|AASL Best Web Sites for Teaching and Learning]
=The American Association of School Librarians Board recently adopted //The Library Media Specialist's Role in Reading Position Statement.//= The statement is available on the AASL Web site at []The LMS Role in Reading Task Force is in the process of creating a toolkit to support practitioners and school library educators in disseminating and using this information to improve practice and in support of the critical role LMS play in 21st-century literacy education.

The American Library Association has provided an outline of what the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) can do to help libraries.
The ALA Washington Office has created an [|American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 101] webpage as a one-stop source with resources on how to make sure libraries benefit from the package and have the most up-to-date information on the stimulus.Take some time to review this website to learn what the stimulus package can provide for our libraries. Be sure to check out the [|state-by-state impact]of the stimulus package and how to advocate for ARRA funding!Strengthening Kids’ Interest in Learning and Libraries (SKILLs) Act

**School Libraries Work!**
Revised 2008 (Third Edition) For the last four years Scholastic has been updating and publishing //School Libraries Work!,// the research that proves the school library positively affects student achievement. Since 2004 more than 200,000 copies have been distributed. The downloadable 24-page document contains the results of research from 19 states and one Canadian province and provides the backbone for your arguments in support of additional resources that will make a difference for your students. A pdf copy may be downloaded at [] __Important Note:__ All three editions of //School Libraries Work!// have been written by one of our own LASL members - Terry Young! Thanks, Terry, for all your hard work on this very important document.

Scheduling: Fixed vs. Flexible
Flexible scheduling continues to exert a postivie effect on test scores, regardless of per pupil spending, teacher-pupil ratio, or students' race/ethnicity. Elementary schools with flexibly scheduled libraries performed 10 percent better in reading and 11 percent better in writing on the ISAT tests of fifth-graders than schools with less flexibly scheduled libraries.([|School Libraries Work!] Scholastic Library Publishing, 2008) [|Position Statement on Flexible Scheduling - AASL]

Roles of the LMS
School Library Media Specialist Role and Responsibilities - AASL [|5 Roles for Empowering School Librarians]

School Library 2.0
LM_NET is a listserv for school library media specialists. Talk to colleagues around the world, collect information, test ideas, and solve problems, all in a supportive professional environment. To join send an electronic mail message to listserv@listserv.syr.edu with nothing in the subject line, and with the words subscribe lm_net and your own name in the body of the message. Or go to the [|LM_NET] home page for more information.
 * Are you interested in finding out what other school librarians are talking about? Do you want to learn more about the latest school media issues and "hot" topics? If so, then consider joining LM_NET.**