What's that got to do with libraries?

Occasionally I come across a news story that never mentions a library or a book but nonetheless has a lot to tell librarians. An example appeared today in a N.Y. Times story on how some scientists worked together to solve the mystery of dying bees--the collapse of bee colonies across the country. Turns out the solution to this difficult and important question offers a great example of collaborative study and learning based on both electronic and personal connections that crisscrossed the country from Maryland to Montana. Who would have thought that the military was working with bees? As it happens they have even learned how to use bees to locate land mines. The connection with Montana came when the brother of one of the scientists recognized the similarity of work being done by his brother's colleagues and a man who spoke at a business conference. A software program was also crucial to manipulating the data that led to figuring out that it was a combination of a virus with a fungus that did the bees in. The results when they were reached, were published in an online science journal. What can librarians learn? Well, we can help kids learn that all sorts of sources can work together to solve problems, that two or more heads are usually better than one to solve problems, and that no source of information should be overlooked or dismissed. It's a great example of collaborative problem solving, which will probably be the way most problems are worked out in the 21st century. Teachers and librarians should think about how they can encourage young people to work together, to share information, and to use every tool in the box to help find answers. It's an inspiring story--and I'm awfully glad the California almond industry will inevitably be helped by healthy bees reappearing in our state.