Audiobooks and information literacy explored in new SLR articles

CHICAGO — Two new research articles covering the topics of the use of audiobooks with struggling readers and high school students’ information literacy skills are now available as part of the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) peer-reviewed online journal, School Library Research (SLR).

"School Library Research offers two new research studies featuring aspects of library programming for distinctive populations," said Jean Donham, SLR co-editor. "One study examines how using audiobooks impacts the reading skills of struggling readers. The second study examines how high school students use information literacy skills while researching. SLR aims to disseminate original research to expand our professional knowledge and improve our practice."

In their article, “Use of Audiobooks in a School Library and Positive Effects of Struggling Readers’ Participation in a Library-Sponsored Audiobook Club,” Jeff Whittingham, Stephanie Huffman, Rob Christensen and Tracy McAllister share their study findings on the impact of the use of audiobooks with struggling readers. The research team met weekly with a school library book club, during which students discussed audiobooks and made reading recommendations to their peers. By analyzing standardized test data and conducting interviews and questionnaires, the team found that the use of audiobooks had a positive impact on reading skills and attitudes toward reading.

The results of Cindy Kovalik, Susan Yutzey and Laura Piazza’s study to understand how high school students apply their information literacy skills when conducting research is shared in “Information Literacy and High School Seniors: Perceptions of the Research Process.” The researchers asked 289 high school seniors to complete an information literacy survey related to the research process and then randomly selected 10 percent of the participants for follow-up interviews. The research team found that the students considered themselves successful library users, but they also expressed a need for help deciding which resources are best to use and how to identify important information from those resources.

School Library Research (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 library programs.

The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), promotes the improvement and extension of library services in elementary and secondary schools as a means of strengthening the total education program. Its mission is to advocate excellence, facilitate change and develop leaders in the school library field.