CISSL



Projects
Presentations
Publications

Research Projects

Student Learning Through Delaware School Libraries

On behalf of the Governor’s Task Force on School Libraries, Delaware, USA

Project: Two phase project focusing on research and assessment of Delaware’s school libraries, undertaken for the Governor’s Task Force on School Libraries in the State of Delaware. Phase 1 documented the infrastructure, resources, staffing, and program activities of all 154 public school libraries in Delaware in order to establish base measures and benchmarks for ongoing improvement and development. Phase 2 identified high quality school libraries and undertook in-depth analysis with them in order to elucidate how quality school libraries contribute to student learning. Completed April 2006.

Findings: School libraries are not merely informational places but are transformational and enabling places of learning, a role that has potential to be extended and developed further. The students’ use of school library and perceptions of its help depend on:

Access to and appropriateness of library resources
Availability of information technology and its functionality
The nature of instructional interventions to guide students on information seeking and using experiences
Spatial dynamics and the persona of the school librarians

Outcomes: The findings showed that quality school libraries in Delaware help students with their learning in and away from school. Particular emphasis was placed on recommendations for developing the instructional role of school libraries in Delaware to integrate with content standards.

Publications

Report of the Delaware School Library Survey 2004:

Facts, Findings, and Recommendations (Part 1)
Part 1 is the beginning of the Report of the Delaware School Library Survey 2004 and is an executive summary of the findings and recommendations.

Survey Instrument and Data of the Delaware School Library Survey, 2004 (Part 2)
Part 2 is the remainder of the Delaware School Library Survey 2004 and includes details and data from the survey.

Updated October 2007