LM_NET: Library Media Networking
I had asked how to sway an administrator into authorizing money for =
recreational reading magazines when this person thinks they have no "=
educational" value. Most people mentioned the value for the reluctant =
reader to be reading *anything*, and several offered the book _The Power =
of Reading_ by Steven Krashen for convincing statistics. The complete =
replies are enclosed. =
Hope this helps!
Corey Current, Media Specialist
S. St. Paul High School
700 N. 2nd St. =
S. St. Paul, MN 55075
651-457-9439
corey_current@sostpaul.k12.mn.us
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we subscribe to over 100 magazines..large school district..and over 3/4 =
are for recreational reading..that's a good way to get a reluctant reader =
to read..
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I always have thought that reading by itself, no matter what the topic, is
good practice. The more you read, the better you get at it, just like
practicing for sports. Educational can mean more than just absorbing
facts. Magazines and books do no one any good if they're never opened. =
You have to have the high-brow magazines for research, I agree. Why not
also provide recreational reading so students can get reading practice and
learn to enjoy the written word? Who knows, once they find out reading is
fun, maybe they will tackle the high-brow stuff? I never could understand
having a library full of books and magazines no one wants to read. We =
have
a lot of pleasure reading magazines and students are always in here =
reading
them. I think that's great. They even complain when we don't get new =
ones
fast enough. No one can tell me that's bad for them!
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Both _People Weekly_ and _Seventeen_ are indexed in _Reader's Guide_. I
don't get _Seventeen_ here, but I do get _People Weekly_. My students
(7-12) use the back issues for information on people who are (or were) in
the news in areas other than politics or sports. I would suggest that you
use the _Reader's Guide_ listing of indexed periodicals as a guide for =
your
periodical collection, but also use your own good judgement. _Seventeen_
probably is not appropriate for a middle school, unless you have some
REALLY old students (or REALLY young faculty).
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Well, OF COURSE, People, etc. don't have educational value, but
they DO have recreational value, and a media center strives to be all =
things
to all people...and what better way to attract the "reluctant reader" than
to provide interesting and fun things. I have faced this issue over many
years of librarianship and about all you can do is emphasize how you want
all kids to feel comfortable and welcome in the media center, including =
the
low-brows. We are saddled with a lot of study hall kids and the best way =
to
keep them sort of on task (quiet) is to have lots of "garbage" magazines
available...from People on up to Outdoor Life, Golf, Skiing, Snowmobile,
Rolling Stone, Spin, etc. They even like Martha Stewart! I can't keep =
Brides
on the shelf, same with Hot Rod, Motor Trend. I see kids in here that
otherwise wouldn't be caught dead in the library unless their class is in
for some project. I don't worry too much about old issues being kept in
order, etc. We eventually toss some that get real ratty or put them in the
"cut-up" area...where kids can come and take them if they need pictures =
for
a collage or something. Good luck...ask this high-brow person how s/he
relaxes...with a good mystery or bodice-ripper or with some classical
tome...all of us need to zone out now and then, and magazines are a =
harmless
way to do it!
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Remind administration and faculty that the library/media center should =
foster, not only the educational curricula, but life-long learning. If =
students find books/periodicals, etc. that they LOVE to read, they will =
continue to do so all their lives. We are not just educating students for =
the moment, but for all time. I am waging a bit of this same battle...but =
the feedback from faculty and students about the new recreational titles =
has =
been wonderful. I have added such magazines as Yahoo! Internet Life, =
Wired, =
Entertainment Weekly, Teen People...the idea is to read! Many things may =
be =
learned about how others conduct their lives through People, etc.(or how =
NOT =
to live a life). When administrators and educators realize that we are =
demonstrating learning for a lifetime, then education will have come a =
long =
way.
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I am a firm believer that kids need to read materials that they enjoy. The
book The Power of Reading by Steven Krashen gives great documentation for
this. Krashen is a proponet of self-selected reading and backs it up with
studies showing that the more kids read the better readers they are. He
advocates giving kids time to read and letting them choose whatever they
wayt--whether it be magazines, books, comics...
If you are looking for statistics and quotes to back you up, try to get a
hold of this book. Good luck!
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People and Seventeen are indexed in the Readers Guide. They were magazines =
that frequently were used for research in my previous library. (My current =
one uses primarily an online magazine database for research) but I still =
have the leisure reading materials available for them. How about talking =
about the value of reading and the importance of encouraging *any* kind of =
reading in your students? Many kids, especially in high school where they =
are so involved in activities, jobs, etc., won't sign a book out, but they'=
ll stop in over their lunch to read a magazine. It *is* the library's job =
to provide reading materials that meet the needs and interests of all =
readers.=A0I wouldn't encourage you to say anything like "Well, then why =
have a fiction collection? It doesn't meet any educational=A0needs." but, =
quite frankly, that's my thought if that's their true mind set. If you =
point it out to them, your room may become part of the Theater of the =
Absurd and they'll ditch ALL non-academic materials. (After all, that =
quality literature can go in the 800s and doesn't have to be in the =
fiction section!)=A0Good luck.=A0"The problems of the world cannot =
possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the =
obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were."
--John F. Kennedy
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I am a middle school librarian in VA, and I subscribe to four "educational"=
periodicals that I archive, and about 20 that are recreational. My =
rationale is that for our reluctant readers, particularly boys, this is =
their reading - the only reading they do! I wish I had something other =
than my testimony and our circulation statistics (we circulate all back =
issues) to back up your efforts, but I really think you are on the right =
track!
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Our kids love Biography, any car mags, sports, life,newsweek, time,
Fillipinas, seventeen, PC or Mac mags. Yes, you do need to have
recreational reading as well as the Vital Speeches, Commonweal and =
Christian
Science Monitor.
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I agree with you.=A0 We have Girl.=A0 I like it because it's a fashion =
magazine that shows girls of different sizes, shapes, and ethnicities.
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Try getting hold of a
book called _The Power of Reading_ by Stephen Krashen. It's a compilation
of over 100 studies about reading and concludes that kids need to read =
lots
and lots -- comic books, cereal boxes, etc. One statistic he cites is
saying that if a kid read a comic book a day, he's exposed to over 10,000
words in a year. It's important for them to read, period.
I'm fortunate that my principal backs that our library is for reading and
research -- we have lots of leisure reading as well as materials for
research.
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