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CHICAGO – New research published in the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) peer-reviewed online journal, School Library Research (SLR), explores graduate-level instruction on research designs and methods for pre-service school librarians. SLR promotes and publishes high-quality original research concerning the management, implementation, and evaluation of school libraries. Articles can be accessed for free at .

For their study, the research team from Old Dominion University, consisting of Jeffrey DiScala, Elizabeth Burns, and Sue Kimmel, examined the question, “How should a school library program prepare pre-service school librarians to integrate research into their future practice?” Using a focus group of pre-service school librarians, the team critically examined instruction through an existing two-course sequence of research methods in education with an emphasis on school libraries. Their purpose was to understand the effectiveness of the instruction and explore ways to improve professional practice.

The results of their research are shared in "Pre-Service School Librarians’ Perceptions of Research Pedagogy: An Exploratory Study." The team found opportunities to improve instruction through intellectual accessibility, focusing on action research for the practitioner, and scaffolding learning throughout the graduate program. Research also indicated increased appreciation and understanding of the research process among participants and the ability to integrate the research findings of others into their own practice.

(ISSN: 2165-1019) is the successor to School Library Media Research (ISSN: 1523-4320) and School Library Media Quarterly Online. The journal is peer-reviewed, indexed by H. W. Wilson's Library Literature and by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology and continues to welcome manuscripts that focus on high-quality original research concerning the management, implementation and evaluation of school libraries.

The American Association of School Librarians, , a division of the 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.

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