Re: Elementary Internet Projects (fwd)

[Diane Durbin <dianed@TENET.EDU>]

Inventory and circulation control save the librarian time that she/he can
then spend teaching students how to locate, evaluate, and use information.
 And this needs to be started at the earliest level in order to be
effective.  This is a problem solving process, and if kids aren't asked to
solve information problems until secondary school, they won't be able to
do it then.  Many of us who are secondary librarians can testify to this.
Kids who come to my secondary setting can answer a request to find a book
GIVEN author, subject, or title.  What they can't do is use the library to
complete assignments where they need to identify a subject, come up with
broader or narrower subjects, tell the difference between fact and
opinion, etc.  I sometimes think teachers believe there is a library gene
that kicks in about 8th grade and kids are suddenly able to do all these
things without previous background.  Another real good reason to automate
the school library is because I have had experience with a number of kids
in early primary school who have said they aren't going to use the old
card catalog because the public library has a computer and it sure is dumb
to take all this time when you could just go up to the computer and find
the book right away!  If schools are going to have any credibility, they'd
better keep up.

On Mon, 10 Jan 1994, Marsha Pfingsten wrote:

> This is really a question for everyone.  We want to pass a technology bond
> issue.  One of the goals is to automate the elementary libraries.  Can
> anyone send me some reasons for automating the elementary library that
> will be meaningful to the non-librarian-general-public?  Reasons such as
> teaching electronic searching and electronic catalog usage.  Why not just
> automate the high schools?  Inventory and circulation control don't cut
> it--those just save the librarian time.  Why do the students need it?
> Can anyone help us justify what we think is a real need?
> Thanks!
> Marsha