Re: [LM_NET] HIT: Playaways

[Shonda Brisco <sbrisco@GMAIL.COM>]

I agree with the idea of not requiring a special permission slip to
check-out a Playaway....(and we wonder why libraries get such a bad
reputation when it comes to how "user unfriendly" libraries are for
students...but that's another issue that I'll raise later.)

We also have expensive books that are in the regular collection but
they are circulated without question. Playaways (because they are new
technology) seem to fall under a special shroud of exclusiveness.
Previously our libraries required (before I arrived) a permission slip
to borrow the Playaways (parents' signature required) ---in addition,
we also had individuals making decisions about who could or couldn't
check-out Playaways based upon the student's family's  "ability to
pay" if it were lost.  (Many of the kids who probably couldn't afford
to pay for a lost Playaway were also the kids who needed these audio
books the most---and they have all checked out and returned their
Playaways without any problems.)

My thoughts....do you really want to know?  Good grief!!  We are
supposed to provide equal service to all users----I don't ask for a
credit report before allowing individuals to borrow books or
Playaways, so why are we getting all weird about who can or cannot
borrow library materials?  Yes...I have a limited budget and we do
lose materials, but guess what?  Everyone loses something at one time
or another, so why do we punish childen (or treat them like they are
irresponsible) before they are even guilty of losing or damaging the
book?

We really need to re-think what we are doing to ourselves when we make
decisions to restrict access to materials based upon our opinions of
whether our students are "worthy" of using the materials made
available in "their libraries."

Off my soap-box...

~Shonda


-- 
Shonda Brisco, MLIS
District Librarian
Peaster ISD
Weatherford, TX 76086

Currently reading:  "Tested: One American School Struggles to Make the
Grade" by Linda Perlstein

Digital Bookends wiki / blog:
http://digitalbookends.pbwiki.com
http://shonda.edublogs.org/
sbrisco@gmail.com

Resources for Texas School Librarians:
http://txschoollibrarians.ning.com/
http://txschoollibrarians.wikispaces.com/

"Digital Resources" columnist
School Library Journal

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