The goal of this study was to examine the collections of eBooks in Spanish provided by vendors of library resources to school libraries to determine if there are equitable offerings of eBooks in Spanish relative to the Spanish-speaking school population in the United States. The results of the study indicated that the top vendors do provide eBooks in Spanish, but the titles comprised a small percentage of their total collections and do not mirror national demographics.
It is important for educators of school library media specialists in the United States to begin incorporating a global approach to education. Research on short-term international exchange programs indicates they contribute to the cognitive and personal growth prerequisite for developing a global perspective in both students and faculty. In efforts to develop a global perspective among students and faculty in the Western Kentucky University Library Media Education Program, two members of the faculty initiated an international exchange program with the Colegio San Estanislao de Kostka (SEK) Catalunya, a private P-12 school near Barcelona, Spain.
Community centers called “Makerspaces,” “Hackerspaces,” and “Hubs” are materializing in schools, libraries, and industrial buildings across the globe. Educators believe that the Maker movement has the potential to stimulate interest in learning in the STEAM areas (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) because hands-on inquiry learning is embedded in every Maker activity. School libraries have always been resource centers for student inquiry learning and many school librarians see Makerspaces as a means to attract students and faculty to the school library for instructional collaboration. This paper provides an overview of Makerspaces in school and community settings and offers advice for school librarians interested in becoming involved in the Maker movement.
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