Re: Vanishing Print Encyclopedias

[Jonnie Jordan <jsjordan@TENET.EDU>]

I discovered this earlier in the spring in trying to update print
encyclopedias.  I am not at school to check, but I believe there is a third
encyclopedia which will no longer be available.  I can understand that it
will be easier and much less expensive to update encyclopedias online, which
will maintain or increase profitablility for the publishers.  For those
school libraries with large Internet labs, there are probably few problems.
However, for my high school of 1200 students, we have only four Internet
stations in the library (and school) for student Internet access.  There is
no Internet access in the classrooms. I do not see that this will be changed
in the near future, not until other issues regarding Internet access are
solved.  I must continue to provide print and CD-ROM encyclopedia resources
for use in the library and also to be sent to classrooms.  Can you imagine
2-3 classes in the library lining up to "start" research by finding an
overview article with only four stations available?  When a teacher requests
a set of encyclopedias along with other book resources be sent to the
classroom, what happens?  Publishers are responding to real technology and
economy issues;  however, librarians were never asked about the impact on
their ability to serve student needs.

jsjsordan@tenet.edu
Jonnie Jordan
A. C. Jones High School Library
Beeville, Texas

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=
    All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law.
To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST), send email to:
 listserv@listserv.syr.edu         In the message write EITHER:
 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST
 3) SET LM_NET MAIL  * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv
 For LM_NET Help & Archives see:  http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=