Managing InfoTech in School Library Media Centers

Citation

Brett, C. (2000), "Managing InfoTech in School Library Media Centers", Library Management, Vol. 21 No. 8, pp. 443-447. https://doi.org/10.1108/lm.2000.21.8.443.1

Aimed primarily at school librarians, this title explores the introduction and management of information technology within the school library. There is an assumption from the very beginning that the school will support this introduction and that these technologies will enhance the learning process in a school. The title is successful in introducing teachers and librarians to the available range of ICT to improve administration and management in the school library. However, it is less successful in linking improvements in ICT provision within the library to the overall educational performance of a school.

The research, mainly based in North America and Australia, fails to mention UK government initiatives such as the National Grid for Learning and other UK Web‐based learning initiatives. The information is clearly presented and well organised, with a number of useful checklists and flow charts that could be adapted for individual use; the Web‐page evaluation worksheet is particularly useful. The Internet sources are cited after each chapter and are all searchable through www.lu.com

Overall, when it comes to presenting a case to management for increased spending on information technology for the school library this is a useful and practical tool for the isolated school librarian. It may be an expensive purchase for individual schools, who might prefer to borrow than to buy.