The future of libraries is an interesting topic for this week when the Mayor of Anchorage is trying to balance the budget. It was very enlightening to attend a meeting at the library on Nov. 10 and learn that the current library services are far below the levels of comperable sized cities in the US, but our costs are higher. The present level of staffing at the municipal library is 25% below the 1986 level. In 1986 the ratio between people and facilies was one library for every 24,600 people. Today the ratio is one library for every 56,000 people.
The municipal library is looking for ways to serve the needs of the community in the face of social changes that have occurred. The rise of the internet places a greater need for IT people than librarians, at least in the eyes of the politicians. The librarians realise that the library serves the community as a source of job information, resume preparation, and the use of computers to apply for jobs online. They see the library as a social hub of the community with students using the library after school not only for reading and research, but also as a warm, safe place to be socially active and interact with their peers both live and online.
I can relate to Rick Anderson's observations of his "just in case" collection. How many school libraries contain pristine volumes of reference materials, placed lovingly and expectantly by the librarian, never to be touched by the patrons. Last week I assisted a student who was looking unsuccessfully online. I gave him 3 pertinent books hot off the shelf, only to find them sitting beside the computer, unopened, when the student left. I was thrilled to have what he needed, and so disappointed when he rejected it.
I believe we need to understand how the technology is working for today's student so we can help him/her find what they need, and evaluate it critically. Is wikipedia good enough? It seems to be improving at every turn,according to the students, now some teachers are finding it valuable.
My quandry is how do I wisely utilize my budget? Do I buy the online references the kids seem to want, then wage an all out campaign to get them and the teachers to use it over Google. Do I purchase mainly those titles the teachers want to supplement their classes. Often these books are not used by the kids at all but become an extension of the teacher's classroom, collection. When the teacher checks it out more or less permanently, is it technically a library book or a teacher resource, and whose budget should it impact? I guess the bottom line is to get information into the kids heads. If it goes first thru the teacher, it's still benefitting the student.
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Wow, some really interesting questions here. I will start by saying that it strikes me that books that just sit on the shelf and aren't used might as well be bricks in many cases. However, despite the current prevailing thought, not everything is online. At least not necessarily where you can access it. And there is still a place for books in the world. But I do think that we need to start re-evaluating reference as the place for them.
ReplyDeleteAs for Wikipedia = the use of that resource is only as good as the evaluation of the information. Until teachers and librarians start to collaborate consistently on that, it is going to be an iffy proposition.
As for the books more or less checked out permanently to the teacher.....good question and one I don't have a good answer for. I suppose it falls into that good will category that is also an important part of what we have to do in the 21st century.
Ann