Date Approved

5-13-2000

Embargo Period

7-14-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in School and Public Librarianship

Department

Special Educational Services/Instruction

College

College of Education

Advisor

Willett, Holly G.

Subject(s)

Learning disabled children; Library orientation for gifted children; Library orientation for school children; Reading (Elementary)

Disciplines

Library and Information Science

Abstract

As teacher and educational partner, the elementary school library media specialist must accommodate the diverse abilities and interests of students in all stages and degrees of literacy development. In order to examine if and how school librarians in New Jersey meet the needs of students who read either above or below grade level expectations, a survey was designed to measure key attributes of a library program that successfully accommodates all readers: the librarian's background knowledge of the reading process, his/her collaboration with others who have knowledge of students' strengths and needs, the accessibility of appropriate materials to students within the library, and reading guidance and instructional methods employed. The self-administered survey was distributed proportionately throughout New Jersey's 21 counties to 156 randomly selected elementary school librarians; the response rate was 60%. A descriptive analysis of the data, presented in both narrative and table formats, was based on the percentage of librarians using each recommended practice or technique. Study results show that New Jersey's school librarians are knowledgeable of the reading process and are actively involved in meeting the needs of exceptional readers in their library programs, although gifted readers may not receive as much direct intervention as remedial readers.

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