Category: Uncategorized

Hey Everyone!

Welcome back to another semester/year of school! I hope that summer treated everyone well, and that we aren’t quite at the end of the nice weather yet. 🙂

I have a been taking a quick step away from writing the past 10 days or so, but with courses starting up again, I hope to be back into the swing of making 2 posts a week. I’ll try for the Tuesday/Friday framework again, and will hopefully be back in the saddle by next Tuesday.

If I get inspired though, Friday may bring something as well. Lol.

Good luck to everyone; student, teacher, and otherwise!

Ryan

Just a quick post!

Since today is out ETAD final exam, there will sadly be no new post. Look for new content on Friday though.

Ryan

Hey!

I know I usually post today, but I will be away for the remainder of the week so there will be no updates until next Monday. Then I hope to put one out on Monday and then again on Wednesday to catch up for this past week.

Hope you venture back again after this break.

Ryan

Hey all,

This will be a shorter post, as the weekend is coming! Plus, I ramble too much anyways!

Library attribute #3 – Socializing

As mentioned in a previous discussion, libraries are a social place, and virtual or digital libraries also need to be social places. Maybe this will start simply with discussions and chat rooms for books, courses, etc. Perhaps online meetings rooms or web conference capabilities will be the first wave of online socializing, but the future could be endless.

At this point, there are two directions this conversation could go. 1) We could talk about the benefits and drawbacks of F2F vs Digital communities and socializing. Anyone who has been in our ETAD 802 course knows how vibrant a topic that is.

However, and this may be unfair, since this is my blog and I have already been a part of a discussion on this topic, I would like to look quickly at a second vein.

Libraries obligation to provide a social access point to the community.

This is really an immense topic, so here are a few parameters to sharpen the focus.

a)      Let’s only look at school libraries, and in particular non-university school libraries.

b)      Let’s focus purely on social use of technology, NOT academic or research uses

I realize these may be unfair limits, but in my mind they seem to make sense.

Now to the discussion

When we talked before about libraries as social places, one of the biggest benefits was that they are open to everyone. Money and class don’t matter, anyone can go into the library and socialize.

But what about the online forms of socializing?

There has been an explosion of digital and technological ways of communicating; ways that have revolutionized how we as humans can interact across vast distances. The prevalence of cell phones, tablets, laptops, etc. has created the image that everyone is wired and hooked up; or else a luddite and being purposely obstinate.

There are other groups though, who are NOT riding this wave, and perhaps not due to their own choice.

I purposely put the above guidelines into place for a reason, as I do see public libraries and university libraries providing courses on online etiquette and usage, while having multiple computers set up for patrons to simply browse around.The question though, is should elementary and secondary schools also be embracing such an idea? Do schools have an obligation to provide training and education on how to be ‘wired’ in today’s world to their students? And perhaps most importantly, do schools have an obligation to provide access to these technologies and resources for students who do not have them at home?

It seems that this very topic has been at the forefront of discussions on whether classrooms should adopt Cell Phone integrated coursework, or tablet course work, especially if not all the students can afford the technology. If they do, should the school provide the technology for those who don’t have it themselves, or for everyone, or not at all?

To me, this topic though goes beyond simply purchasing and providing everyone with a piece of technology. This extends to a mindset that we ‘owe’ it to our students to train them and give them access to the newest ways to learn? Ways that they may not have exposure to otherwise.

It would be easy to further frame this as a question of “should schools level the playing field when it comes to technology by ensuring that there won’t be have/have not students.”

However, the question still goes much deeper than that.

I want to close with a short experience I had teaching some years ago.

Midway through a school year, several students in one of the classes I taught started to exhibit very spotty attendance. After digging into the situation I little more, we as a school found out that they were not attending because they were staying home to look after younger siblings who were not yet school age. Naturally, we tried to stress the importance of regular school attendance, etc. but the reply we received back from them was “Why should we attend when what we are being taught doesn’t apply to our lives?” Our way of structuring school wasn’t meeting their needs, and so they decided it would be a better use of time to stay home and help their families. Doing algebra and reading Shakespeare didn’t matter one bit to them, yet I would say most curriculums out there would disagree on their value assessment.

In that light, do schools, SHOULD schools seek to provide access to, and training in, technology and online social communities? Do they owe it to their students? Does it really matter to the student who doesn’t have the gadgets though? Is it a good or bad use of a school libraries resources?

One last disclaimer, I am not talking about Internet Access here, which I believe was just recently adopted as a basic Human Right by the UN.

If the world is becoming more social and we are socializing through technology, do school libraries owe it to their students to ensure they aren’t left behind? Or is that the “Have’s” projecting OUR values and priorities onto the “Have Not’s”?

Tough questions requiring sober thoughts.

Ryan

Hello and welcome to another HOT day!! It’s almost too hot to think, so this will be a short entry.

As I was trying to come up with a topic for today’s entry, I stumbled upon an interesting blog post from North York Central Library out in Ontario about E-books and Library Circulation. The blog post for June 20 indicates that that E-book access in the Toronto Public library had grown by over 400% in the last year!

That’s a pretty astounding number!

The blog also links to an article in The Star which explains how the system works in a little more detail. To summarize, using only a library card, readers download books to their e-readers, and then have them for 3 weeks. At which point the files disappear. No books to return. No late charges. From the convenience of your own home. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Library of the Future!!

However, further embedded in The Star piece is also the mention that traditional library visits were also up for the last calendar year, which presents an interesting question to me: Is the debate between Virtual or Physical spaces actually the question? The idea that each side is almost engaged in a battle to the death, may not be right. The stats seem to indicate that the future may include a library that does both Digital and Physical collections equally well, and in equally accessible ways.

But what about School libraries?

Obviously, the amount of resources at the disposal of a school librarian or district will pale in comparison to those of public libraries, at least they do at the moment. In recent years the movement away from depending, or even needing at all, school libraries has resulted in cut budgets and dwindling resources. I can speak to this, as when surveying graduate courses, I was flat out told (by and MLIS adviser no less) not to go into the teacher/librarian field, as it is a dying profession.

How then, could a school librarian find a way to make an school library both digitally available, and physically welcoming and useful? A piece by Ed Wetschler makes the case that school libraries in the future will have to be Digital realms, yet at the same time warns that there will be drawbacks to this approach, and unforeseen challenges.

But it is a choice between two divergent paths? Would schools best be served by a library that could do both, equally well?

Later this week I hope to start looking directly at technology and tablets in the school and what that could mean. But for the moment, think about our own experiences in libraries (both at school and abroad) as teachers, or just as general library users. How best could the needs of patrons, schools, students, etc be reached by a multi-media approach to library catalogs? It would be impossible to make entire collections E-book/document available, so what type(s) of material would best be served by hard-copy, and digital mediums?

Is it a simply reference works vs. novels/fiction divide, or is there something more?

Is it based on the demand for particular items? Or perhaps on cultural, educational, and intellectual weight?

These are tough question, yet important ones.

If technology allows us to carry our books, knowledge, and resources with us, then what exactly do we want to be hauling around?
Ryan

Good morning everyone!!

First off, let me apologize for the long post. In order to keep my schedule of Tuesday/Friday updates, this one needed to be longer, as I will be away from my computer for a week at then very beginning of August. Rather the 2/3 posts in a day, I thought I’d combine a couple posts. Feel free to skim.

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I’ve been thinking lately about the role of school libraries. It appears that before we can truly discuss deeply the technology challenges and enhancements, we need to first define the role we see, have, and want libraries to play in our schools and in our educational system.

In order to look at this problem, I did some reading and poking around, and came up with what I think are 2 strong arguments for the ‘benefits’ of libraries within a school setting.

1) Libraries as an educational place of learning

Perhaps one of the most immediately recognized roles of school libraries, I think this is what most people outside schools see libraries as for. While the notion of going to the library to research something for a school report or project may no longer be a defined role of the school library, they still retain several useful resources. Chief among this is that ‘library’ time still seems to be loved by children and the excitement of hearing a story read to them, or the freedom of being able to choose a book that interests you and read it still remains enticing.

The question I have is why?

What makes going to the library such an appealing concept, especially when websites like http://openlibrary.org/can offer the same content from the ease of a computer, E-reader, or tablet?

One of the more interesting pieces of information I managed to stumble across was a report from the 1990’s about the social aspects of reading and library use in Israel. ( You can view it here – http://www.jstor.org.libproxy.uregina.ca:2048/stable/pdfplus/4308640.pdf?acceptTC=true) While the piece did also move on to other territory, the main idea was that reading and learning TOGETHER was an idea that had great traction both to children (who by nature seem to be more social creatures then adults) and as a cultural value.

The spin-offs later in life were quite astounding, with higher continued library use, language skills, etc. and got me thinking about the power of books and libraries socially, and academically. Is it possible that one of the great draws of libraries is the ability to discover and explore new ideas with some level of freedom, but also as a group activity? Can reading and exploring what is found by a group (of children in this case), and talking immediately about everything there, dreaming about its meaning, fantasizing and storytelling in REAL TIME really be that powerful?

It certainly appears to be so, and if it is, then is this something that technology can really replicate? Are groups of children gathered around computers websearching having the same experience as those same children picking through a section of their school library? Several studies already show the reading on a screen is different then reading on hardcopy, so what differences (if any) are there between sharing a book and reading together in a library vs reading together on a monitor?

2) Libraries as a social place

This has already been briefly touched on, both in this post and in the comments of last entry, but libraries really are a social place, a so called ‘third’ place outside of home and work. Whether it is getting together out of our normal structured environments, or there is something inside us that seeks places where we can be socialized, libraries have an appeal for individuals who just want a safe, mostly quiet-ish place to congregate. In that way they provide a neutral ground, a meeting place that can stretch across age, gender, etc.

One of the most succinct advocates of this view is Doug Johnson, and a good overview of a more in depth case can be found on his blog at http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2009/2/16/school-libraries-as-a-third-place.html

The question begs to be answered though, is this unique to the library setting? Can the same experience be given to students, patrons, teachers, etc in an online format?

Discussion boards, live chats, and the access to social media the internet affords have created a wide range of forums for even the most shy and timid individual to have a voice, something that can be lacking offline. To me, perhaps one of the most interesting questions is: “Are libraries intrinsically set up to foster a social environment, or have we simply invested them with those attributes?” In other words, is there something special about the library for socializing, or do they simply fulfill a role we have given them?

As an example, the university that I currently attend has gone to great lengths to make their main library a more attractive place to socialize, with large seating area’s, numerous work stations and rooms for students to gather and do homework, and also as a place to go for a cup of coffee and to simply relax. Was this done to ENCOURAGE the growth of the library as a social place, or was this a response to the library ALREADY being a social place? If the library disappeared, would students still continue these activities elsewhere?  I can’t help but think they would, whether by moving to new physical locations, or using interactive technology such a Elluminate virtual rooms, video calls, etc. The likelihood of that happening really puts a damper on the physical library as a social necessity argument.

Finally, if school libraries TRULY are social places, then to what extent do schools, boards, and divisions need to take that responsibility seriously? If school libraries are safe places, ‘third’ places if you will, then to what extent does that role need to be embraced?

In the coming posts I hope to look at e-resources and technology vs. serials and traditionally library set ups. But I would like to challenge anyone reading this to think about the implications of accepting the library as a ‘third’ place in education, and social life. If that premise is accepted then in the end the WAY the library is structured, while important, becomes of second nature to WHY the library is structured in a certain way. What difficulties, challenges, or oppurtunities do you think that opens up, or presents?

Ryan

Welcome to my first actual blog post! If you’re reading this, then let me start off by saying thanks for stopping by!

As I was trying to map out exactly how I wanted to tackle the questions and issues around school libraries, technology, and modern education, I was struggling with what exactly should be the lead in discussion. After tossing the idea around in my mind, and having a few discussions with friends, I was struck by a foundational question from one of them: Do we even need libraries in the ‘electronic age?’

My initial reaction to this question was ‘of course’, but as we bantered back and forth, I began to wonder. As was pointed out libraries (whether digital or physical) can never keep up with rate of new information that is being produced. Librarians, no matter how talented, can never sift through all the knowledge out there, nor can they catalogue it in the ever increasing amount of niches, specialties, and subject areas that are arising. And truthfully, at the heart, aren’t Google and other search engines really just ‘Super-Librarians’? They take a query, and help provide us potential answers and sources, ‘pull’ pages and resources that seem to speak to our topic. How is that different from wandering up to a library desk and asking for help? Or wandering through the shelves? Or simply searching an online database?

Needless to say, I found their argument both compelling, and maddening. The assertion that electronic media had basically obsoleted the ‘library’ concept seemed preposterous, as hadn’t ‘libraries’ always been near the front of technological advancement? Papyrus, paper manuscripts, scrolls, the printing press, typewriting/setting, all had been embraced and contributed immensely to the capacity, usability, and accessibility of libraries. Has the format shift from hardcopy to digital really signaled the demise, or at least the beginning of the demise, of ‘Libraries’?

While I didn’t have an answer at that very moment, as I’ve reflected on this I do not believe that  libraries, whether school or otherwise, have become obsolete. Libraries are about more than simple ‘museums of books’, and play a much more personal and important role. Later on I  want to get into some of these subjects in depth, but for now I firmly believe libraries play an important social role in schools and communities, the physical place (even if that physical place is a website or forum) provides an atmosphere for learning, coming together, and friendship. And perhaps most importantly, isn’t the sheer volume on information out there on the ‘web’, and in the world, almost overwhelming? Having a place where the garbage (per se) was filtered out from the real, true sources and knowledge should be a beacon to an oversaturated world. Whether such places can keep up with the ‘cutting’ edge of information production may not even be relevant, as long as they embrace the knowledge and information that stands past the tests of fad, propaganda, and downright error. (By that, I refer to our over-eagerness to embrace any new theory or idea without first vetting it. Additionally, (and this may be the political science/historian in me speaking)  in a democratic society based on the ideas of literacy, access to information, and people making informed decisions, the loss of libraries and the admission they grant to knowledge free from misinformation and censoring, should give us all pause. Finally, if the argument is purely based on format change, then while E-books and digital formats may require a change in how libraries are setup and managed, is that really different than the shared experience by everyone as we transition to a digital world? From huge repositories of papyrus and scrolls, to small, carefully horded private stores of handwritten manuscripts, to large voluminous collections of typewritten and printed books, libraries have adapted in the past. Why wouldn’t they now?

So what do you think? Is there a place in the modern world for a library? Or are they not needed anymore? Will they gradually be rendered obsolete by the internet, search-engines, and the digital age?

I can’t claim all of these thoughts as being completely originally mine, as I have benefited from some excellent sources. I highly recommend the article by Ian Clark from the UK Guardian found at http://gu.com/p/2tbv9  As well I would also point interesting parties to a rather long (it’s over an hour) lecture from Dr. Chris Batt entitled “If we did not have libraries, would anyone invent them?” found at  http://sils.unc.edu/news/2010/chris-batt Finally, though it’s a little eclectic and very columnar, Jackie McKenzie’s “Why we still need Libraries and Librarians” on the From Now On website at http://www.fno.org/mar2010/still.html is an interesting read.

Ryan

Friday: I hope to look specifically at School Libraries. Can they be more then easy internet access spots for students? Can they offer resources that can’t be found within a classroom that has computers? What part do they currently play in the fabric of our educational system?

Hello!

Welcome to my new Blog!  (The first one actually.)

I will be hoping to facilitate some discussion on topics about libraries, technology, and the place of the modern school library within our educational system. This is clearly a rather larger topic, but I hope that this platform will provide an opportunity for conversation, honest debate, and learning for all parties involved.

My current plan is to update this blog with new posts at least twice weekly (Tuesday and Friday), but more may come as time, and motivation allow.

Thanks for reading this, and I look forward to having a great experience in the future.