The Demise of school libraries.

I couldn't stop on making a blog about this comment published on the SLJ .

This author, a township librarian, makes at fault librarians for the demise of school and any other type of library.
His argument is that libraries are to blame because "The unquestioning embrace by librarians of every technology that comes down the road has led us to this unfortunate situation. In my home school district, all high school students are receiving an iPad at taxpayer expense. What does this tell students? It tells them that the school library is unnecessary and don’t waste your time there."
I think he fails to recognize that technology will advance whether it is librarians or others that adopt the technologies and that had libraries not adopted the changes fast they would be now be half empty. Libraries are not aside of society and evolution and improvement, they grow as society grows, technology and experts in digital technologies are adopted and given the place they deserved, they are needed and promoted but he rather differs saying "Why push services and technologies that are a disincentive for using both the school and the public library? Part of the reason is because this profession has allowed itself to be overrun with techies who walk around with a device in each hand and another stuck in their ear!"
I couldn't disagree more !
The only thing I liked was his picture, I share it here

http://www.slj.com/2013/11/opinion/feedback/more-titles-for-nypls-100-best-kid-lit-who-is-to-blame-for-demise-of-libraries-feedback/#_
Boyer, Harold N. "Who’s to Blame for the Demise of Libraries? | Feedback."School Library Journal. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.

Libraries and the digital divide

What does it mean digital divide? It means that people do not have equal access to digital resources. 

Well as described in this convocation for a "Panel leaders will detail effective tactics to sustain and improve Internet accessibility in libraries and discuss future directions for public access to information. The event coincides with the release of data showing that the digital divide is expanding, affecting far more than the disconnected–according to the report, one-fifth of people with advanced online access have insufficient levels of digital skills." "How Libraries Are Responding to the Second Digital Divide." District Dispatch. ALA Dispatch, 28 Apr. 2014. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.

The convocation explains how alarmingly increasing is the rate of disparity in levels of access to electronic resources within the american population and how libraries and community should work together to breach that gap.

Whenever I go to the public library I see many people using the computers, but I also see that they do have computer classes.  I would have thought that at this point everyone would know how to use digital resources but that is not the case, there is always a crowd on those classes.  Again libraries are always at the vanguard when it comes to serving the public in any way to reach information.  What to access and how to access it, always serving the public.

Libraries as social hubs

I was very impressed by a video that we watched for our class LT140 from the Port Washington Teen Space library.

In that video we saw how libraries strive to give the users the most they can to build more than access to information  but to also have "a social hub".

That library has a very big budget and has allocated those resources to fulfill all the guidance for Youth Services within the library.  The building design, the content in each area, the location and visibility of the items and all the details have been carefully thought to give the youth a sense of privacy and belonging to a "social hub" as the after school homework area has been transformed to more than that.  The rules have been adapted, they can drink and eat so when they have a break or they are tired they don't have to go home, they can rest and play games on computers or table games, they can choose to read or talk without being afraid of disturbing the rest of the public with high volume.

It was a nice surprise for me and I understand that not every library has the money to implement the principles but it is inspiring to see the the principles are set and that libraries, when they can afford it, they implement them.

http://www.pwpl.org/teenspace/

Libraries in the Digital Age

Libraries have always been at the forefront when it comes to information and information access services and it is not different in the digital age.  A fact that I didn't know, mentioned in "Libraries: Ensuring Information Equity In The Digital Age." American Libraries 32.1 (2001): 7. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Apr. 2015, is  that Congress passed an act, the Communications Act of 1934, that declared the right to  "universal service to ensure equitable access to communications technology".    That is a basic right for everyone, today everyone can access information through digital technology  in our libraries with the use of tax financed resources.
Libraries have adapted to new media technologies, in doing so they have helped the public to increase their information resources.  Today when we look for information we can find the very same creation in different formats, libraries usually have them all, like a book in print, e-book format, downloadable format, audio-book maybe even the video format as well.
Therefore as the author describes today librarians are needed even more than before not only to access to that wide array of information but also to help the public to use those technological advances in the best and more effective way "Not surprisingly, the complexity of finding, evaluating and utilizing information in the electronic age, has become a major challenge for the 60% of the workforce that engages in some information-related activity." "Libraries: Ensuring Information Equity In The Digital Age." American Libraries 32.1 (2001): 7. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.
I would  only say that the next step might be in the working, the final step would be a merging of what is going on independently in the internet with what it's in the libraries.  Like a merge between W2 technology based tools and the tools currently used by the libraries.  The first step I think it's already there both sets ready to be sued.

Libraries in the Digital Age

 

Libraries in the Digital Age

With technology changing so fast can the libraries keep up?  Public and school libraries are changing the way they get books for their users and students. E-books are part of the new technology of the digital age.

At public libraries it is much easier to use e-books all you need is a library card and you can access any e-Book in their holdings by downloading it to reader. This makes it much easier than having to travel to the library also you don’t have to worry about returning the book and getting fines. You can download the e-book too your reader for a couple of weeks.

E-Books in schools are much harder. There are more rules involved when it comes to e-books in school libraries. When a school buys an e-Book they are not really buying it they are paying to use the book so they don’t have rights to book as they have hard bound books.  This brings us to the part were e-books cannot be lent out to other schools. So if you are going to Cuyamaca College for you studies you can view our e-books from home by logging in but, if you found a e-book at Grossmont College our sister college you would not be able to view it unless you were enrolled at this college as well. The only way is that you have to visit one of the college’s libraries and then you would be able to access both college e-book holdings.  EBSCO e-books can only be viewed by one person at a time. These e-books have more restrictions than Springer e-books. Springer e-Books are changing the way of e-books.  With Springer e-books you can download them, print them and even e-mail them without restriction.  Another problem is that not all books are offered in e-book form. A lot of classic readings required by teachers are not available in this format. In 2014 To Kill a Mockingbird was authorize to an e-book.  There are a lot more classic required for class reading.

Another problem that came up was that some of the class text books are being offered at e-books which is much cheaper to buy. but the teacher would not let her students  use it on an open book test. The teacher said because it was on an electronic device they could have access to the Internet.

There are some restrictions that need to be worked out but with technology changing so fast I believe that there will be e-books in the future.

 

 

 

Harris, Christopher. "Fact Or Fiction? Libraries Can Thrive In The Digital Age." Phi Delta Kappan 96.3 (2014): 20-25. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.

 

Libraries as Social Hubs

 

 

Libraries as Social Hubs 

 

 

Today’s libraries are not the old fashion libraries like we use to know.  They are changing the way the public sees them. Public libraries have rooms where groups can come and meet. They offer a wide variety of different classes and programs. They are offering places where people can come and use computers for career & job search. ESL programs, health and wellness and programs for older adults.

 

 

 

School libraries are offering more than just books. They are opening before and after schools allowing students to hang out with friend. “It’s not about giving the old system a new name and a new look-it’s about profoundly rethinking educational, societal, and creative values.” School libraries are giving students a place to work together on projects, play games, due research, being able to access the Internet. Libraries are changing the way they look by adding cozy places to relax and enjoy a good book. Libraries can be like a resources center which encourages students to gather to use services that can help with exit exams, college information or even help with career and job searches.

                                                                            Works Cited

 

GUSTAFSON, ELLEN. "Meeting Needs: Makerspaces And School Libraries." School Library Monthly 29.8 (2013): 35-36. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.

 

 

Libraries as Social Hubs

In Creating Shared Campus Experiences: the Library as Culture Club, the authors make the case for university campus libraries as places suitable for bringing together not only the campus community but connecting the campus with the community at large. They state that factulty, staff and students are not generally focused on their campus community and that libraries could serve as an ideal place for people with diverse backgrounds to come together to enjoy various cultural events. It is suggested that partnering with other organizations in the community could be beneficial to both the university as well as the community, citing one example of an art exhibit that supports local schools. They characterize the campus as an impartial institution, and as such, can ideally be a “trusted third party in discussions between and among differing interests for the good of the campus (p. 254).”

Libraries are ideal places to serve as social and cultural hubs. A perusal of any program calendar at a local public library provides evidence of libraries as places where people come together to learn, create, or just have fun. For instance, the Vista Public Library has an upcoming Celebration of Art on April 25. (I will be a participating artist. Please forgive my shameless plug.)

References

Harris, R., Mayo, A., Prince, J. D., & Joan, M. (2013). Creating shared campus experiences: the library as culture club. Journal Of The Medical Library Association, 101(4), 254-256. doi:10.3163/1536 -5050.101.4.005