Barbara,
The e-books that you are purchasing should count toward your
books/student ratio. Also, whether the library is a traditional set up
or not, students need to have available a place where they can go to
work on projects, read for pleasure, etc. Whether that place is called
a media center, a computer lab or a library seems somewhat irrelevant to
me. What seems irresponsible is to build a building without such a
space, and without an information specialist (librarian) to man it.
Just because high school students don't tend to read as much fiction
doesn't excuse us from our job of encouraging them to do so. I like
your idea about paperback books & an arrangement with a bookstore,
though. That might be part of a solution.
Yes, universities are going digital, but they are not there yet. Nor,
will they dispose of their collections once they get there (at least I
doubt we will see that in our lifetimes). As to Star Trek, Captain
Picard kept a small library of real books in his quarters and on at
least one episode waxed eloquent about the pleasure of holding a real
book in his hands. Also, ST is set in the 24th century. We aren't
there yet.
I hope you don't feel "raked over the coals." I think you certainly
have some valid points, but I don't think you are on the same page as
the architects & administrators of the school in question.
Thanks for raising some interesting points to add to the discussion.
:o) Patsy
Patsy McLaughlin
Librarian
Technology Integration Mentor (TIM)
Spring I.S.D.
Bammel Middle School
16711 Ella Boulevard
Houston, Texas 77090
281-586-2600
patsym@springisd.org
www.springisd.org/bms/library
"Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but,
unlike charity, it should end there."
Clare Booth Luce
>>> Barbara Paciotti <barupa@SWBELL.NET> 03/29/06 11:49 PM >>>
I feel impelled to contribute my 2 cents on this issue, and anyone is
free to rake me over the coals if you think you can change my mind. I
welcome a sane answer to my exasperation. :-\
I'm not quite ready to say that a school doesn't need any library at
all, but I honestly don't think a high-tech high school needs to build
the kind of library that has been the norm for the past 50 years.
This is my 6th year in a middle school that is in its 8th year, and we
have about 220 student computers for just under 650 kids--and I do as
much research teaching in the classroom computer spines as I do the
library. Yet, I am prevented from purchasing online database services
beyond those provided by the district because I haven't quite reached
the state-required books/student ratio for my relatively new library.
My district does provide valuable online resources for each grade level
(elem, ms, hs) but each of our 6 middle schools has huge differences in
facilities and populations. For example, my school has more computers
than at least two schools that have twice as many kids. Their
libraries
use lots of print reference sources. I haven't had most of my 7 print
encyclopedia sets off the shelves in 3 or 4 years, but my students are
limited to the single online encyclopedia provided by the district
(even
though my staff and students overwhelmingly preferred the additional
ones I provided before they decided I couldn't purchase them anymore).
I've heard the "what will they do when they get to HS/college?"
argument, but somehow that doesn't wash for me either--our new feeder
HS
has as high a computer/student ratio as we do. Our local colleges and
universities are all online-resource rich, so students will really need
to be more proficient at choosing and using a larger variety of online
database services than print resources. And the academic world is
increasingly moving toward power-search tools that search both print
and
online databases at the same time, to provide students with exactly
what
is needed, regardless of format. Yes there will be a need to use some
print resources, but the huge number of online database services make
most undergraduate research easily completed with those alone. In
fact,
I was able to do much of my graduate work with them.
One complaint I hear from our high schools is that students do little
leisure reading because they are so overwhelmed with work. It seems
probable that the fiction section of a high-tech HS library can be very
small compared to the resources needed for research. It might even be
preferable to consider mostly paperbacks for the fiction section to
keep
it as current and inviting as possible (maybe even set up some kind of
arrangement with one of the large bookstore chains!). As for the
format
that those research sources need to be, curriculum needs and facility
technology and student demographics are the best determinant, not an
arbitrary ratio that extends from old-school thinking.
I realize not everything is available online, but more and more
research-type resources are going online or to e-books (which, thank
goodness, I am allowed to purchase). Why? Simply because it's faster,
easier, and CHEAPER to update and provide online stuff. (Isn't an
encyclopedia publisher ceasing its print version for online-only for
this reason?) I'm all for faster, easier, and cheaper...and for moving
forward to embrace the future. (You know, I don't remember ever seeing
a print reference resource on Star Trek.)
Barbara Paciotti, SLMIS
Barbara Bush MS, Irving TX
barupa@swbell.net
-------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2006 11:40:56 -0600
From: Lindy Hutchison <lhutchison@MAIL.SWEENY.ISD.ESC4.NET>
Subject: SEC: Building the new high school without a library
Dear LM_NET,
Our district is in the process of planning a new high school. The =
architects are here and are saying that "many new schools are being =
built without libraries," and that "students will each have their own
=
individual gizmo and be able to access everything they need on-line."
=
(sigh) I've already turned over to them the results of the Colorado =
Study, et. al., but they seem unconvinced that, in planning for "the =
school of the future," the library will not be obsolete. They postulate
=
that the students of today and of the future are so used to being wired
=
(& wireless) that they think and learn differently from those of us who
=
are older. Arguments about snuggling up with a book and quilt in front
=
of the fire, they say, hold true for older generations, but our
students =
are coming of age in a new ethos. =20
I've been to the meetings; teachers, parents, and many students seem =
stunned at the thought of doing away with the library. The architects
=
seem to have convinced the superintendent and the assistant =
superintendent of finance, though, that they are right. =20
I've looked through the LM_NET archives & could not find a similar =
situation. I've been researching & did not find evidence of other =
school districts thinking that this was a good idea. If any of you
have =
experience with or know of such a situation, especially research
showing =
that the library is not totally on the way out, I would really =
appreciate hearing from you.=20
Ever thankful for LM_NET,
Lindy
=20
Lindy Hutchison, Librarian
Sweeny HS Library
Sweeny, TX
lhutchison@mail.sweeny.isd.esc4.net
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