What I realized from my post regarding print reference being obsolete, is that the
“digital divide” which usually refers to individuals, also refers to school
libraries.
Our library media center, which caters to 1600 students has 65 stationary
computers, plus 15 wireless laptops. We have our own computer lab within the LMC.
Our online resources include databases that we have purchased, the district has
purchased, plus resources available from the state of Florida.
We have retained what we consider “essential” print resources, but have dumped
a third of our reference collection, those resources that are readily available
through our databases and will not be used in print form.
I have no allegiance to the requirement that students MUST have a print resource.
My feeling is that the resources online ARE print resources—just in an online
format.
I look forward to the time when all reference resources are online. Until then I
will selectively pick and choose reference books in print resources, always looking
to see if something online would be more beneficial.
I will also add that I do take our highest level students who are working for a
Laureate Diploma to our local university to search for books, not necessarily
reference books, but books that would give them more depth than what they would
find through articles.
I’ve included some of the comments I received from LM_Netters.
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Here is a perspective from a school that does not have a lot of money. We can not
afford author databases, such as Thompson Gale's excellent literary suite; even if
I could come up with $4000 to pay for it one year, it is unlikely we would be able
to pay for it the next. Our print resources are already there and I can add on to
them for less than $1000 a year and keep them up to date.
Another thing about our school is that there are not enough computers in the
library for an entire English class. Having some students working from print means
everyone can be finding something.
I have no doubt that online databases will replace print soon, but that time has
not yet come for our small school district.
-----
You are exactly right, and these comments represent my long-time fears for the
future of libraries. Your observations would fit my small private school too.
Losing print resources saddens and depresses me. I have only 8 Internet computers,
but unless the teachers here assign books (and many still do) the 9-12th graders
hardly touch print resources - EVER. Wikipedia (*%$#!!) is their easy answer to
everything. ARGH!!!
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I think it all depends totally on your resources in your library and the philosophy
of your school - as well as what happens outside the school! We are a school of
1,200 students, fairly affluent wit a large percentage of college-bound students.
We would be absolutely lost without our print resources - we have social studies
classes of 25-30 students, and only ten very old computers in the library. We
teach a research strategy encouraging
books, magazines and then the internet.
------
That's so sad. When I interviewed about 75 college and university librarians about
what they expected freshmen to be able to do, almost to a person they said use
print resources. The open web is not acceptable for research. Databases were also
stressed but due to their cost, I'm afraid many high schools don't have many. We
need to educate our
faculties so they create projects which help students learn a variety of skills.
-----
I still use much of mine, even with databases and internet access. For example, a
student came in wanted to know about a name fro Star WArs. What it meant, where it
came from, etc. We looked at every conceivable source online, to no avail. I
finally thought of looking it up in Encyclopedia Britannica, and there it was. Not
everything is available online. And online systems do go down. We ordered the new
Encyclopedia Judaica from Gale, in ebook and print format. That way we're covered
both ways. Plus, I don't want students to lose the joy of books, the very reu just
don't get from a
computer. Perhaps you can persuade some teachers to REQUIRE a certain number of
print sources?
-----
have found there to be two drawbacks to online sources only. One, the students
don't often know how to tell if a source is authoritative or not, and the
opportunity to plagiarize are vast. About half the teachers that come to us for
research make their students use printed matter before they are allowed on the
computers. We all know that a pen and paper have never let us down and are
reminded of this every time there is a computer issue, but students don't often
understand this. I know my own two kids, both in high school, have thanked me for
teaching them how to find and use books as a reference source, but they are in a
minority.
-----
I have been in my first library job for 5 weeks and I have wondered the same thing.
I keep looking at the shelf of reference books and thinking of how I could use that
space. I have seen a student use 1 reference book so far and that is only because
our internet was down and she couldn't get to wikipedia! I guided her to the
source. I'm glad to meet someone who "took the plunge". I don't plan to do anything
drastic this year, but am going to carefully monitor the use of reference and then
talk to some teachers at the end of the year. I might do some serious resource
dumping next summer!
-----
If your district gives libraries enough money and your district technology
department has enough funding to keep your technology up to date and always
connected to the Internet, then you may say that print reference sources are
obsolete. I rely totally on state provided databases accessed by mostly Windows 98
computers in a district that just spent the last 5 days completely off line. We
still use print reference sources becasue we know we can access them when the
Internet is down.
-----
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: 239-377-2370
Library web site: http://collier.k12.fl.us/nhs/lmc/
School web site: http://collier.k12.fl.us/nhs/
Pursuant to School Board policy and administrative procedures, this e-mail system
is the property of the School District of Collier County and to be used for
official business only. In addition, all users are cautioned that messages sent
through this system are subject to the Public Records Law of the State of Florida
and also to review by the school system. There should be no expectation of privacy.
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