Library and Information Science Commons^™

Corroborating What Data Collected By 9th-12th Grade School Librarians Articulate And Validate A Successful School Library Program, Arlen H. Kimmelman

Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing an experts' consensus from the field of school librarianship of the characteristics of a successful school library program, this study aimed to corroborate what data collected by 9^th-12^th grade school librarians articulate and validate a successful school library program. Information Power was used as the industry standard for determining the standards of successful school library programs. First; a meta-analysis was done to identify the experts in the field of school librarianship. Second, a Delphi study was used with the experts to corroborate what data needs to be collected by 9^th-12^th grade school librarians …

An Investigative Study Of The Library Information Skills Taught By Elementary School Library Media Specialists In Camden City Public Schools, Michele Gold Feldman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigative study was to explore the library information skills that elementary school library media specialists in the Camden City Public Schools taught to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The study was conducted to determine the school library media specialists' perceptions of the collaboration that existed for one selected research project. Of the 12 respondents to the mailed survey, all 12 replied that they taught alphabetical order, 10 taught the Dewey Decimal System, 10 taught use of an index, 8 taught how to use the Internet, and only 2 taught the Big6/Super3 Skills. Instruction in library …

Public And School Library Collaboration In Atlantic And Cape May Counties, Jennifer Jamison, Terri Lee Tabasso

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the elements necessary for a successful collaboration between public libraries and school libraries, as well as to measure the collaborative efforts between the school and public libraries. This study was geographically limited to all school libraries and public libraries in Atlantic and Cape May Counties of Southern New Jersey. This study of public and school library collaboration utilized applied research techniques. Mailed questionnaires were sent to public and school libraries in Atlantic and Cape May Counties. The response rate was 58% for public libraries and 54% for school libraries from the two. …

Pre-K Student And Teacher Access To And Use Of School Library Media Programs, Michelle Tullio

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which public schools in Southern New Jersey offered library services to preschoolers as well as the characteristics of those programs. The population, which was nonrandom and purposive, consisted of twenty library media specialists in public elementary schools in Southern New Jersey. Of the twenty surveys mailed out, a total of thirteen were returned with a response rate of 65%. Data were tallied and analyzed for the following information: types of services offered to preschoolers, number of preschoolers serviced per week, rating of current collection for use by preschoolers and …

Effective Collaboration Methods Of School Media Specialists And Classroom Teachers, Cynthia Anne O'Reilly

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigative study was to determine if student achievement was greater when media specialists and classroom teachers spent more time collaborating. This was accomplished by surveying media specialists and the classroom teachers they collaborated with. Surveys were mailed to media specialists in the Cherry Hill Public School District in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Those media specialists were asked to present a separate survey to classroom teachers they had collaborated with. Results of the surveys determined that 54% of media specialists and classroom teachers felt that their students achieved higher on lesson assessments when the media specialist and …

Analysis Of Elementary School Library Web Sites In Southern New Jersey, Tricia L. Squire

Theses and Dissertations

Elementary school library media centers have the opportunity to utilize a Web site to promote the goals and objectives of the program, assist students with information literacy skills and encourage students to read more. Organizations such as the American Library Association and the International Association of School Librarianship provide guidelines for creating Web sites. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether or not elementary school library media centers in southern New Jersey were using these guidelines when creating Web sites.

Using a researcher designed checklist, Web sites were evaluated for information provided for all students, content for all …

Present And Future Senior Services At South County Regional Library In Camden County, Edward J. Cuneo Iii

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to survey the South County Regional Library's present senior services and plans for future senior services. The library's manager was interviewed for the study as was an administrator from an assisted-living facility and a director from a health and rehabilitation center. The interview questions asked dealt with present services for seniors and future considerations as the number of senior citizens is expected to increase. The public library had a number of services already available. The assisted living facility and health and rehabilitation center had some services. Neither scheduled regular trips to the public library. …

Building Better Working Relationships Between High School Library Media Specialists And School Technology Coordinators, Jennifer Lynn Sedlock

Theses and Dissertations

The impetus for this study came from numerous conversations regarding the frustrations colleagues had when communicating with their technology coordinators and/or technology services. In many ways, technology and technology-integration within school media centers are just as important these days as traditional curriculum and teachings. Embracing this fact is essential to a successful school library media program, especially those programs whose main goal is to produce the next generation of information-literate, lifelong learners. By analyzing the results and open-ended responses of a survey presented to New Jersey high school library media specialists, guidelines were proposed on how to establish and maintain …

Techniques Used By Elementary Library Media Specialists To Teach Caldecott Medal And Honor Award Books, Kathy Lee Simpkins

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine elementary library media specialists' perceptions of the usefulness of Caldecott Medal and Honor Award books in the elementary library media center curriculum. The study was conducted to measure the techniques elementary school library media specialists considered the most effective towards increasing student reading and reading choices. A total of 255 people responded to the 11 question survey on SurveyMonkey.com. Of these 255 responses, 250 were used in this research. The majority of respondents stated that their library programs did have written library skill curriculum guides and almost half of the 250 elementary …

Public Library Services To Senior Patrons, Paul J. Brunner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to determine the attitudes of senior patrons, those age 55 and older, about computer technology at the Cape May County Public Library. It was hoped that this information would provide insight into older adults' usage of OPACs, computers, and the Internet, suggesting areas for further research and leading to improved services to these patrons. Additionally, the following research questions were addressed: What computer resources do senior patrons use most frequently? For those senior patrons who do use the OPACs, computer, or the Internet, what is their level of competence or confidence with such …

The Extent To Which New Jersey Public Librarians Promote Early Literacy Skills, Kathleen M. Kelley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine, through the use of a questionnaire, the extent to which New Jersey public librarians were providing and promoting early literacy skills in their weekly preschool storytimes; the use by these librarians of the Every Child Ready to Read early literacy initiative, as well as the ways in which these librarians were accomplishing these tasks. This study also compared preschool storytimes offered by selected public librarians to Head Start programs and local nursery schools for children from birth to age five.

Responses to the questionnaire showed that all the participating public librarians used …

The Reading Habits Of Elementary Students And The Potential Role Of The School Library Media Specialist, Elizabeth Reilly-Stern

Theses and Dissertations

A review of current and related literature showed girls were outscoring boys on reading tests in New Jersey, in the nation and in other countries as well. Students see reading as a feminine activity. Understanding the reading habits of students, particularly male students who read less, is crucial to help students become lifelong learners. By studying reading preferences it may be possible to influence students to read more. This study was designed to determine if girls in fact circulate more books than boys, and if girls specifically circulate more fiction books. Through surveying the school library media specialists and examining …

Does Working Together Work? A Study Of Collaboration Between Classroom Teachers And School Library Media Specialists, Carol Elizabeth Miller

Theses and Dissertations

The current research examined the practices of collaboration between teachers and school library media specialists. It also examined what levels of collaboration occurred between the two groups and what factors influenced their decisions regarding use of collaborative activities. Two electronic surveys were designed to give the researcher an idea of teachers' and library media specialists' use or non-use of collaboration and to determine what factors influenced the use or non-use of collaboration. Invitations to participate in the library media specialists' survey were posted using two online forums whose members are media specialists. The participating media specialists were invited to recruit …

Library Access To Hispanic Books In Bridgeton, New Jersey, Donna Pettit

Theses and Dissertations

The Hispanic population is rapidly growing in Bridgeton, New Jersey. As the needs of the patrons change, hopefully the libraries are meeting those needs. The purpose of this study was to examine nine public libraries and public school libraries in Bridgeton, New Jersey to determine if they provided access to both Spanish-language and English books in their collections, books that reflect ethnic identities, backgrounds, history, and the culture of the Hispanic and specifically Mexican American population. The study surveyed nine libraries in Bridgeton using a combined bibliography of 78 award winning fiction Hispanic books. The researcher visited and checked each …

A Survey Of The Availability Of School Library Media Center Catalogs On The Web, Matthew James Dibella Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

An important tool of a school library media center is the automation system. The media specialist uses this tool to manage the media center's collection and ensure that students have access to the best and most up to date accurate information. The purpose of having an automation system was to improve student access to the media center collection. The advancement in technology in the past three decades has expanded the role of school media specialists.

This survey of the number of school media centers that have their catalog available on the Web was analytical. It was conducted with the use …