Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Are they really going digital?

The announcement recently that a school library in Massachusetts was going completely digital, based apparently on the lack of book circulation, has caused concern. A thoughtful post on the YALSA blog raises some of the questions we librarians should be asking before we send out mournful tweets. What was the school library doing before this decision was made? Was the school librarian an important figure in the decision to make a basic change in the library collection? How many books circulate in other school libraries every day? What do the students think? Are they reading books at all? Do they have a great public library next door to the school? There are too many questions that beg for answers, and too many opinions thrown out without any facts to back them up. It's not enough to jump on a story and assume a position--pro-book or pro-digital--without asking the more important questions about the impact of any decision. In this world of easy, inexpensive blogging it's more important than ever for librarians to share their experiences, their knowledge and more especially the facts behind their opinions. That's the only way to earn the respect of administrators and the public.

2 comments:

  1. Professor Fasick,
    I've been following this story on YALSA, and I have to say it is fascinating. The original article left so many questions unanswered. But, it was the comments from librarians that really made me think more deeply about those unanswered questions. My greatest concern for the library is the inclusion of the coffee bar. I keep thinking is this a good idea in a high school? It sounds to me like the administrators are attempting to make their media commons more like a college, but even colleges still have books.
    Teresa Raines
    Libr 263

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  2. Yes, it does seem there are more questions than answers, and the coffee bar is one of them. It makes you wonder what the authorities think the role of the library is. And does the school have a cafeteria? What's the relationship? Do we want students to grab a coke or coffee instead of lunch? Lots of questions.

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