LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Many thanks to all who responed about my dilemma with the SIRS print
volumes. Since I hadn't intended to post a hit, I have removed names.
Many people wanted to know what I found out, so I guess it's a problem
many of us have dealt with at one time or another. Here are responses
from the field. Again, thanks for your insight.
I've discarded anything not covered by the CD-ROM index. Oldest we now
have is 1989 science ones.
--
We had the 1992 print version of SIRS up until the beginning of this year.
Last year I subscribed to the quarterly SIRS Researcher CD-ROM. Therefore,
I felt justified in throwing out the information that was definitely
dated!! Many times my students must have CURRENT information for their
research papers and, to at least one teacher, that means no more than five
years old!
--
Would you keep magazines from that far back. Most schools ( at
least those I know of) only keep them back five years for research.
--
I would not throw the SIRS notebooks. I have back issues of the notebooks
plus SIRS on cd-rom and find that it is useful to keep the notebooks
because;
I teach students to use the feature in SIRS to look at the source (f5) and
see if we have the article in notebook. That way they can look at it back
at a table, xerox parts they want, get the graphics etc. It saves printer
time, and computer terminal time. We can't at this time print graphics
since they need a laser printer.
Also; many students don't know exactly what they want to do thier topic
on, for example the health classes recently had to do an project on AIDS,
several students browsed the AIDS notebooks for ideas, found something
they wanted to focus on, then went to the other sources. Some of the old
documents are dropping out of the SIRS CD-roms and by having the back
issues we can still use them.
I just wish I had the money to have both, print version and cd-rom
version.
--
do you have anything in the curriculum that uses materials for
contemporary 20th c history? ARe there any articles in there that might
be considered primary sources for near-term history? CAn you save the
things you think might be useful for a pamphlet file and recycle the rest?
ARe your computers 100% reliable? I have this awful feeling that we make
assumptions about what's available electronically, and after it's recycled
it can be difficult to replace. We're in for a very large collective
forgetting!
--
I keep the paper copies for 5 years, then put them in the teachers' lounge
for them to have if they wish.
--
I put my older SIRS in a cupboard when we renovated, just in case
we needed them. I was reluctant to throw them out knowing how well they
have served us. However, the first time I got something out for someone, I
realized how out of date the info was and helped the student find
something better. I tossed them and never looked back!
Toss 'em! I just ditched all of mine (which I inherited, my first year at
this school) which were 1984-90. I first spoke with all of the teachers
who were reputed to use them and explained that if they wanted "current
issues" we could provide much better materials in a number of other
sources and they understood perfectly.
--
We have some about as old. I have not discarded any yet (I'm way behind
in weeding most of the library), but I think I should. After all, SIRS
just reprints articles from newspapers and journals. We keep only five
years of most magazines, and teachers often specify that material used in
a report must be recent. For the last few years, we've gotten microfiche
with the print SIRS articles. Even when I must discard the print
materials, I can hang on to the fiche. Another reason to discard old
materials: our libraries aren't getting any bigger, and something has to
go
I keep only 2 binder per title, making it approx. 5 yrs worth. They are
used the most by seniors taking gov't and econ. and they want the latest
info. Also we had no room for more.
--
-I keep SIRS from 1989 on--feel free to dump those. Maybe you could give
them to a clasroom teacher? Glean for vertical file? Or... just dump'em!
Sara Johns, Beekmantown Middle/Senior HS
--
. We also have old print copies of SIRS. So far we have kept them along
with CD-Rom version because many of them are still useful to trace trends
from years ago, history, etc. Also CD-Rom does not go back further than
1989. At least while I have space, I will keep them since I don't have
enough computer stations to get a whole class up and running at the same
time. Hope this helps somewhat
--
Hi - This is late but just wanted to add my two cents worth. Dump them.
If you have time, you might go through and pull those items that could
possible have historical interest. However, that would be all you would
want to keep. And if you can, subsribe to SIRS either on CD or on line.
By the way, they have a great web site where they have lots and lots of
links to web sites relevant to the topics covered by their "volumes." Use
of those links is free. The address is: http://www.sirs.com. There are
also teacher resources and lots and lots of good stuff.
--
We also have all of the print volumes of SIRS and I am alot like you.
I'm having a hard time throwing them away. I asked a SIRS rep. once about
their selection guidelines. (Because we were throwing away notebooks at
my previous school--not my decision though) He said one of the criteria
was longlasting value of the information. Every once in a while, I take a
look at individual articles and find there is still value.
--
Depending on the topic, I keep the most recent 5 years. Some are older
than
that. Consider the new research and developments in that short time. I
also
don't have the space to keep them all. Sometimes the kids are upset
because
the index has older articles which they think would be perfect, but they
have to live with it. I explain about currency and relevance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carole L. Ashbridge
Library Media Specialist/Model Schools Program Site Administrator
KidsConnect Volunteer
Sackets Harbor Central School ~ Phone: 315-646-3575
Box 290 ~ Fax: 315-646-1038
Sackets Harbor, NY 13685-0290 ~ ashbridg@northnet.org
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