Inquiry-Based Learning: Lessons from Library Power » (New Edition)

Library Power was a 10-year school library project begun in New York City and funded by the DeWitt Reader's Digest Fund. The results of the project are presented in four chapters that explore inquiry-based learning, a case study on a model research process in an elementary school, the use of inquiry-based learning to transform the beliefs of educators, and the importance of relevant information sources.

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School Library Journal

One benefit of the DeWitt Wallace Reader's Digest Fund that supported Library Power projects in school libraries has been the information gathered about the results of the programs. This small book tells the stories of three schools in which the library-media program was a key element in curriculum renewal. The three tenets of the Library Power initiative are defined as: "improved collections, flexible access to the library media center, and a collaborative approach to using library resources in instruction." The schools also have in common a commitment to inquiry-based teaching and learning. The authors have brought together theory, principles, and concrete examples to demonstrate that "inquiry-based learning represents, and support[s] the application of what we know from research to what we do in schools." The definition of research models, the reasons to use them, and their function are explained in a clear, understandable style. Using Carol Collier Kuhlthau's Information Search Process Model, the authors explain the nonlinear aspect of this inquiry process. Perhaps the most important part of the book is the chapter by Dianne Oberg that describes the changes in teaching practices for both media specialists and teachers. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.