$80,000 LSTA Grant for School Library Research Project Awarded to Ohio Educational Library Media Association

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The State Library of Ohio awarded an $80,000 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to the Ohio Educational Library Media Association (OELMA) to undertake a new research project on how libraries help students learn.

The project, Student Learning through Ohio School Libraries, began earlier this month and is being conducted by OELMA and the Leadership for School Libraries, a collaboration of the Ohio Department of Education, the State Library of Ohio, OELMA and INFOhio—the state’s K-12 information network.

In June, First Lady Laura Bush, a former public school teacher and librarian, underscored the importance of school libraries in her remarks at a White House Conference on School Libraries in Washington D.C. “School libraries help teachers teach and children learn,” noted Mrs. Bush. “Children and teachers need library resources–especially books–and the expertise of a librarian to succeed. Books, information technology, and school librarians, who are part of the school’s professional team, are basic ingredients for student achievement,” Mrs. Bush said.

With the empirical results and research data from the new study, Ohio school library personnel will be better positioned to “help teachers teach and children learn” by influencing curriculum decisions, improving literacy skills and integrating information literacy into students’ day-to-day learning experiences.

Research conducted by Dr. Keith Curry Lance, Director of Library Research Service, Colorado Department of Education, and other noted educators, previously established the importance of an effective school library program. The Ohio project will build on this research and identify specific evidence to show how school libraries in the state impact student learning. Results will include: 1) empirical evidence to support how school libraries help students learn, 2) tools for school librarians to track and chart the effectiveness of local library programs, and 3) recommendations for educational policy development and future research.

Researchers for the project will be Dr. Ross Todd, Associate Professor, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and Dr. Carol Kuhlthau, Professor, Information Science, Rutgers.

According to Dr. Todd, “This research project, Student Learning through Ohio School Libraries, is an exciting opportunity for the state of Ohio to lead the U.S. in providing significant findings that show the multi-dimensional relationship between an effective school library instructional program and student learning outcomes.”

Dr. Todd’s primary teaching and research focus is adolescent information seeking and use. He has published more than 100 papers and book chapters in these areas and is a regular speaker at international conferences on these subjects. Dr. Kuhlthau is internationally known for her groundbreaking research on the information-search process and is a frequent presenter at professional conferences on information literacy and other related topics. Dr. Todd and Dr. Kuhlthau also are co-directors of the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL) a worldwide forum for the exchange and dissemination of research on the utilization of information for learning in school libraries.

For additional information on this research project, contact
Ann E. Tepe, Project Director
Student Learning through Ohio School Libraries

HCCA/INFOhio Special Projects Consultant
Hamilton/Clermont Cooperative Association
7615 Harrison Ave.
Cincinnati, Ohio 45231-3107
513-319-7120 ext. 20123
ann@hccanet.org