Library and Information Science Commons^™

Does The Accelerated Reader Program Motivate Fifth Grade Students To Read Beyond The Classroom?, Paula A. Girard

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this qualitative research were to (a) determine if the Renaissance Accelerated Reader program provided motivation for fifth grade students to read beyond the classroom; and (b) to determine if the Accelerated Reader program acted as a catalyst to affect changes in students' reading behaviors as a result of extrinsic rewards. Seventy-six students participated in the study between October 2002 and March 2003. Results showed that students were clearly motivated by extrinsic rewards and preferred choosing to read books on the Accelerated Reader list to those that did not have an accompanying A.R. quiz. Rewards, points and recognition …

The Attitudes And Experiences Of Sixth Grade Teachers Towards Media Specialists On Either A Fixed Or A Flexible Schedule, Lori Cooney

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to discover if fixed or flexible scheduling in library media centers was related to the attitudes and experiences of sixth grade teachers towards library media specialists. Surveys were sent to selected sixth grade teachers working in public schools in Burlington County, New Jersey. Questions were designed to gain information from sixth grade teachers on their attitudes and experiences in regards to planning and team teaching opportunities with the library media specialists, availability of the library media specialist and the library media center during the school day, and the ability of the library media specialist to assist …

Collection Development Of Non-Christian Religious Holiday Books In Elementary School Libraries, Kelly Bigley Craig

Theses and Dissertations

While many Christian holiday books for children are widely reviewed and available from mainstream publishers, it is more difficult to find and evaluate books about non-Christian holidays. Elementary library collections may under-represent non-Christian religious books because of a lack of school library media specialists' personal knowledge about non-Christian holidays. This study surveyed school library media specialists through a written questionnaire about the variety and size of their library's current collection of non-fiction books about non-Christian religious holidays, and determined how school library media specialists approach collection development in this area. The sample and population consisted of 124 elementary public school …

A Study Of Adult Patron Library Use And Satisfaction With The Federal Street Branch Of The Camden City Free Public Library, Aaron L. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how adult patrons were using the Federal Street branch of the Camden City Free Public Library. Additionally, the study measured patron satisfaction with the current level of service that the library was providing. One hundred and three responses were collected over an eight week period. Patrons were asked to evaluate twelve services based on present level of service and importance. From these responses the researcher was able to calculate satisfaction. The services were divided into three service areas: Information Services, Print and Electronic Resources and Library Services. Results of the survey showed …

Identifying The Attitudes Of Rowan University's College Of Education Graduate Students Towards Web-Enhanced Courses And The Use Of Webct, Kathy J. Cyliax

Theses and Dissertations

Many important issues need to be addressed in order to implement distance education programs successfully. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of using technology for course delivery, the attitudes of the students participating must also be considered. The purpose of this study was to identify the attitudes of a sample of College of Education graduate students at Rowan University in order to understand their acceptance of or resistance to Web-enhanced courses and the use of WebCT as an instructional delivery tool. Surveys were delivered to 24 professors in the College of Education, who used WebCT as an instructional tool, to …

A Library Use Study Of Deptford High School Seniors' English Paper Resources, Anne Denning

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the resources used by high school students enrolled in honors, college preparatory, and general English courses in the completion of their research papers. This applied research study was conducted with the use of a written questionnaire, which was administered to Deptford High School seniors of all academic levels in their English classes. The population and sample of this study were one and the same, 213 Deptford High School senior English students. All seniors attending English class on the day the survey was administered comprised the sample. No attempt was made …

The Past In The Future: A Content Analysis Applying S. R. Ranganathan's Five Laws Of Library Science To Libraries And Information Services In Young Adult Science Fiction, Bruce Duboff

Theses and Dissertations

S. R. Ranganathan's Five Laws of Library Science are considered the basis of modem library philosophy. They have remained after over seventy years as the seminal concepts by which other library science guidelines are judged. However, the world has changed dramatically since 1931, and these laws, along with Ranganathan's philosophy, may be in jeopardy of obsolescence.

What has science fiction written about future libraries? Speculative library and information trends and issues like those discussed in science fiction literature are relevant not only for librarians, but for society as well as it wrestles with the issue of information overload.

This study …

Budget Expenditures Of High School Library Media Centers In Southern New Jersey, Patricia V. Glave

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the expenditures of southern New Jersey high school library media centers for the 2001-2002 school year. The applied research design employed mailed questionnaires to collect data from the sample of library media specialists from all public high schools in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, and Salem counties in New Jersey. Descriptive survey research and statistics were used to describe the characteristics of expenditures in print, non-print and electronic resources for 56 responses. Relationships between expenditures and socioeconomic rank were discussed, as were sources of funding.

As a region, public high school library media centers …

The Effects Of Collaboration Between The Elementary Teacher And Educational Media Specialist On Non-Required Student Library Usage, Kimberly A. Mccauley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there was a difference in third grade students' non-required school library uses if collaboration on a weekly basis between the educational media specialist and classroom teacher was present. The study contained one experimental group, consisting of one class of third grade students who received collaborative instruction and one comparison group who did not. A comparison of these two groups' non-required library use and their circulation habits, as well as the types of activities they participated in when they were in the library led to the following results: Increased exposure …

The Educational Role Of United States Holocaust Museums/Centers, Christie Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

There are almost three hundred Holocaust museums/centers in the United States whose precise function is unclear. This study of 131 participants was concerned with what materials/resources were in their collection and what educational programs were offered. The electronic mail survey also asked: Who is able to use their collection? Who uses it most frequently? Where do they get funding? What is their main objective: preserve history or educate the public? The results showed that United States Holocaust museums/centers see themselves as responsible for education and furthering public understanding of the Holocaust. There are different angles future research about the relationship …