learning on the part of the students and teachers, the library media specialist can contribute to the creation of a learner-centered environment in which the students are encouraged to take responsibility for deciding the direction and determining the extent of their learning. More than simply being a provider of relevant resources for the students, the role of the library media specialist is to provide guidance and support for the students as they delineate their area of research, determine whether and how to obtain the necessary information and reflect on the outcomes of their research. For example, when conducting research on a specific topic, students will first need to determine their previous level of understanding, pose important questions for their topic, identify the information that is relevant and integrate it into their previous knowledge. Essentially, students need to be taught not only to access the Internet, but also how to process the information in the cyberspace by extracting the information that is most relevant to their topic. Throughout this process, the library media specialist should be available as a coach and a guide to provide a guiding framework, as well as challenge the student to exceed their limitations (Stripling, 1996).
Apart from helping students, a school library media specialist can also work with teachers to shape the
...