I have to disagree! For the first four months of school we have had
over 1200 books checked out - not a huge number for our 750 students
but still a clear indication that print is in use. In addition, books
often get used here in the library and never get checked out or marked
as in-house use. The Reference titles get used every day. Teachers
require multiple sources so the students can't get by only with online
materials. Teachers at all grade levels (we are grades 6-12) bring
classes into the library to conduct research. It's an important skill
to learn: my daughter was able to do much of her research online when
she was a college freshman, but now that she's a senior she spend hours
in the library using print as well as online resources. We are
preparing students for a world that makes use of ALL kinds of
information, not just what can be found online. In fact I get a kick
out of racing the kids to find info in a print encyclopedia before they
can find it online.
As to staff, we have one full time librarian and one part time
librarian, plus the school receptionist who can cover when we are busy,
plus after school staff, plus parent volunteers. Even with all that
staff we are almost always busy!
I do agree however that we need to build our online resources and
provide technology that will take advantage of all that the online
world has to offer. Students will naturally tend to gravitate to the
Internet - we have to provide those all-important databases and then
teach students to discriminate between authoritative sources and random
Internet sites. Any national tech plan needs to recognize the important
role school libraries play in developing these skills.
Sign me happily working in a print environment,
Cathy
-----------
Cathy Rettberg, MLIS
Head Librarian, Menlo School
Atherton, CA
crettberg@menloschool.org
On Jan 24, 2005, at 3:12 PM, NHS Webmaster wrote:
> I will posit a contrarians view.
>
> I believe that school libraries, and especially high school libraries,
> are on there way to becoming obsolete. That said, I think we need to
> refocus completely what a high school library library can provide.
> Please note, I am referencing high school libraries only.
>
> We have a huge print reference collection that is no longer used.
> Absolutely. By no one. Not an encyclopedia, not an almanac, not a
> dictionary. The only use we get is for road atlases, because Drivers Ed
> requires both a print map and an Internet based map.
>
> No student uses are general collection unless required for a school
> assignment.
>
> No one, not one, checks out a book for reading for personal
> development.
>
> Nada, no one.
>
> Teachers no longer use the library. Not our ESOL teachers--they require
> that their students select books only from their classroom libraries,
> nor the Reading teachers, they are focused on Read 180 and the books
> are
> in their rooms.
>
> There is no focus on outside readings. Social studies and science
> teachers from low level to AP are so structured that the use of the
> library is out.
>
> The AP programs on the Internet feature their own outside readings.
> There is no in-depth reading of books in a library required.
>
> We cannot support the highest level of student researchers, as we do
> not
> have the funds to support books at their level. We ferry them to the
> local university instead.
>
> Our library could be reduced by one half. A room for presentations, a
> computer lab, and a modest area for recreational reading--paperbacks
> and
> high-interest periodicals.
>
> And our staff could be reduced by at least one professional.
>
> One professional/one aide would be enough (I know some of you would be
> blessed to have that) to service 1700 students.
>
> The use of the library media center is declining year by year,
> standardized testing plays a part, national studies that say that
> reading for pleasure does not improve test scores is another, the rise
> in acceptable use of copy and paste assignments by teachers is yet
> another.
>
> So, why do we even need libraries? A reasonalbly sized room with
> computers and some magazines and paperback fiction is enough!
>
> Food for thought!
>
> Adam
>
>
> Adam Janowski
> Library Media Specialist
> Naples High School
> 1100 Golden Eagle Circle
> Naples, FL 34102
> E-mail: NHSWebmaster@collier.k12.fl.us
> Phone: 239-377-2210
> Fax: 239-430-6673
> Library web site: http://collier.k12.fl.us/nhs/lmc/
> School web site: http://collier.k12.fl.us/nhs/
>>>> Peter Milbury <pmilbury@IIS.SYR.EDU> 01/21/05 9:51 AM >>>
> Dear LM_NET Colleagues,
>
> On Thu, 20 Jan 2005, Brent Bradley wrote:
>> I'm more interested in what people think of the NCES document
> "technology
>> in schools" at
>> http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2003313
>> While the AASL and the NETP pieces seem to be a lot of propaganda and
>> 'We're doing great things here', this document seems (to my untrained
>> eye, I suppose) something actually useful to districts and individual
>> schools.
>
> I think Brent made an astute observation. Bureaucracies always seem to
> drift toward inertia, or even worse, self-destruction. They become
> timid
> and afraid of offending their perceived benefactors, and even forget
> about
> who their benefactors are!
>
> We just have to do our best with what we have, and let it be known when
> there are deficiencies. There are many ways to band together for
> mutual support, and LM_NET is one of them.
>
> Perhaps there is a way that we can let both ISTE and the U.S.
> Department
> of Education know that they are ignoring school libraries in this
> important document, the National Education Technology Plan.?
>
> Please, let us all know your thoughts on this topic!
>
> Peter Milbury, LM_NET Co-Moderator pmilbury@iis.syr.edu
> School Librarian/CA TeleMentor, Chico HS, Chico, CA
> ............................................................
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