Perceptions of Others--Response Requested

[Ken Haycock <haycock@UNIXG.UBC.CA>]

The Council Chronicle, a monthly publication of the National Council of
Teachers of English [NCTE], includes this comment in the June 1994 [3:5]
issue:
Article: "Amazing School Creates Learning Community" [page 1, 5]
"...a technology specialist and former first-grade teacher has replaced
the school librarian and media specialist. He checks out books to
students, but he also issues computer passwords which enable each
youngster to send and receive E-mail. The Information Center allows
students access to electronic libraries around the state and to check out
the own library materials."
"For this generation of kids, it's all electronic...Card catalogs and
hardbound encyclopedias have become obsolete--it's now laser discs,
zap-shot cameras and CD-ROMs."

So-o-o-o-o... change the name from library to information center, dump
the librarian for a technologist and switch checking out books for
handing out passwords and we enter the 21st century... this is misleading
and frightening stuff ESPECIALLY since the rest of the article defines a
school many of us would enjoy working in, but there is no mention of
cooperative program planning and teaching or of integrating information
skill development.

Your letters?
[1] Bertha Stuurmans, Principal, Chinook Elementary School, Vancouver,
Washington;
[2] Felice Kaufmann, Editor, Council Chronicle, 1111 W. Kenyon Road,
Urbana, IL 61801-1096.

Perhaps AASL will also respond.


Ken Haycock
School of Library, Archival and Information Studies
The University of British Columbia
831-1956 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC  V6T 1Z1
Voice: 604-822-4991  Fax: 604-822-6006
Internet: haycock@unixg.ubc.ca

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