Re: GEN: Computer lab?!--Be careful what you wish for.

[Gordon Riley <Gordon_Riley@MERCERSBURG.EDU>]

While Jeffery makes some good points, I think there is another side of the =
coin.  If you are not running the lab, somebody else is.  If they are not =
competent, it is going to cause problems for you.  Additionally, it is not =
always a good thing to isolate your concerns to what is going on the =
library.  The library is part of the school, if you forget that you may =
wind up with a seige mentality and all kinds of other problems may crop =
up, such as rivalries and hostilities.

Gordon Riley
Electronic Resources Librarian
Mercersburg Academy
Mercersburg, PA
Gordon_riley@mercersburg.edu
The opinions expressed are my own!

"It's all about sincerity.  Once you can fake that, you've got it made."  =
Former NFL Head Coach Monte Clark.

>>> hastings <hastings@HPS.K12.MI.US> 06/04 8:44 AM >>>
Do to the prevelance of the insidious "computer lab parasite,"  nefarious =
usurper of library space and time, I wish to share my response to your =
letter, which is quoted below:

Gloria,

I highly recommend that you do NOT push yourself into a supervisory =
position in a general purpose computer lab!  You have no business, in my =
opinion, supervising kids using, for example,  a typing tutor, a math =
drill and instruction package or an office suite of productivity tools. =
Could you do the job? Sure! Should you do the job? NO!
If you do this stuff, Gloria, you are abdicating responsibilities in the =
other areas of librarianship aligned with your mission that you will be =
ignoring while attending to these duties. You DO have business teaching =
kids how to find information--real, bona fide, authoritative information, =
on the INTERNET-- and to cite that work properly in their reports.  Many =
of your database products may also be delivered via computer--either off =
CD-ROM, or via the web...they're your business--not
just running them, but teaching kids to use them, understand them and =
recognize their origins as an information sources.  These PROFESSIONAL =
duties are your responsibility.

Your task right now shouldn't be jumping into that lab-- it should be the =
much harder job of making sure that you have all of the available =
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ON YOUR LIBRARY FLOOR that you can get; and that =
it's use is taught primarily through you--the best information specialist =
in the building.

Gloria-- multi-purpose computer labs as appendages in libraries are, in my =
opinion, dumb ideas, anachronisms and are bound to become old, outdated, =
white elephants.  Eschew them--push instead for your own INFORMATION work =
centers!

And Gloria-- I totally respect, by the way, your effort to reclaim what =
may have once been library "territory."  If this is the case, though, the =
damage has already done.  In my opinion, you can only make it worse by =
muddying up your library mission with duties which should be way outside =
your sphere of concern.  I urge my colleagues to resist attempts by =
districts to turn portions of their libraries into general purpose =
computer labs. It does not make sense.

Respectfully,

Jeffrey Hastings
School Librarian
Highlander Way Middle School
Howell, Michigan  48843

http://hps.k12.mi.us/~hwms=20

hastings@hps.k12.mi.us=20

>  ------------------------------------------------------------------------=

>
> Subject: Libraries & Computer Labs
> Date: Thu, 3 Jun 1999 14:42:48 -0600
> From: Gloria Curdy <GCurdy@MCPS.K12.MT.US>
>
> My Principal is hiring noncertified people to oversee the computer lab
> (which is adjacent to the LMC) and is adding INTERNET and multimedia
> peripherials to the lab.  I need good rationales as to why the lab
> should be supervised by a Library Media Specialist.  (I have some from
> "Reinvent Your School's Library In the Age of Technology)  However, any
> ideas will be greatly appreciated.  I met with him next Tuesday and need
> ammunition. We have 1300 Students in our high school.
>  Thanks.
>
> Gloria Curdy
> LMS
> Big Sky High School
> Missoula, MT  59804
> gcurdy@mcps.k12.mt.us=20
>
>                                                   -----------------------=
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