10% Reading Room

[Floyd Pentlin <fpentlin@GARFIELD.LEESUMMIT.K12.MO.US>]

Missouri is currently looking at the state standards by which media
centers are evaluated.  Along with that process is the development of a
handbook to act as a guideline for program development.  One of the
issues we are dealing with is facilities.

Most sources, including North Central, indicate it should be possible to
seat 10% of your student body in the MAIN READING area of the media
center.  I wonder if this figure is no longer meaningful.

It seems to me that networking has changed the face of information
access.  If a computer lab has access to the online catalog and CD-ROMs,
the students have similar access to being in the media center itself.
If, in my case, the computer lab is part of the media center, then why
shouldn't that 10% figure reflect the fact that 10% of the student body
should be able to use the resources of the media center at one time (i.e.
not restricted to the reading room)?

Also, it seems to me that the very dynamics of what goes on in a media
center has changed.  If students are in part of the media center facility
creating a multi-media production, using telecommunications in another,
and using media center personnel to facilitiate their writing a paper in
the computer lab, then it is more important that we have the space,
equipment, and personnel to do all of these activities - again, as
important as 10% in the reading room.

Comments or thoughts for the benefit of discussion.  Thanks.

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Floyd Pentlin, Library Media Specialist / Lee's Summit High School, Div. 2
400 Blue Parkway / Lee's Summit, MO 64063 / VOICE: 816-251-3418
FAX: 816-251-3419 / E-MAIL: fpentlin@garfield.leesummit.k12.mo.us
  Steven Wright: "I installed a skylight in my apartment....
                  The people who live above me are furious!"
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