Community Resources in the School Library Media Center: Concepts and Methods » (New Edition)

W. BERNARD LUKENBILL is Professor, School of Information, University of Texas at Austin.

Since the spread of the Internet, school media center specialists have a vast array of community information at hand in many formats, but education and school-based information services often don't know how to integrate such material into the school environment or how to use it effectively to increase learning. Lukenbill (information, U. of Texas at Austin) lays a foundation for understanding the role of community information in the media center. Models and guidelines provide school library media specialists with a roadmap to better use of community resources both as instructional and informational materials and as a means for promoting student learning in a variety of subject areas. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

School Library Journal

This text outlines organizational strategies for managing community resources. Recognizing the value of such collections usually maintained by the public library, the author suggests that easier access for students can make learning more relevant and "enable them to see a connection between the curriculum and the real world." Lukenbill includes information such as agency directories, telementoring numbers, historical documents, museum exhibits, photos, and volunteer pools. Expanding the concept of the vertical file, the author presents ideas for developing, managing, marketing, and accessing electronic photo archives, Web site links, school documents, and bulletin boards. One chapter addresses sensitive community information, censorship, privacy, and terrorism concerns. The textbook-style presentation is thorough, providing diagrams, charts, field research, and models, followed by a conclusion and extensive notes for each chapter. Sample subject headings, focus-group and field-study survey materials, and a community-information questionnaire are particularly helpful. A definitive tool for developing community-resource collections.-Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.