A Reflection Question from Lesson Four:

"Are those of us who support both print and electronic reference sources fighting a losing battle? How do student preferences for electronic resources affect your purchasing?"

I have found the readings in Week four to be interesting and enlightening.   In particular, I have been reading and thinking more deeply about the long-term  usefulness  of a school library print reference section.

There is a great article in Newsweek magazine by Steven Levy which discusses the possible ‘demise of print culture”  (Levy, Stephen  (2007).  The Future of Reading.  Newsweek, Nov. 26, 2007.).  When we talk about the evolution of the reference section into electronic referencing, we are really talking about the greater impact of digital technology  on reading in general.    I love Levy’s definition of a book:

“...an object that is superbly designed, wickedly functional, infinitely useful, and beloved more passionately than any gadget in Best Buy.  It is a more reliable storage device than a hard disk  drive, and it sports a killer interface.  And, it is instant-on and requires no batteries.”

I think it is our job to make sure students gain a similar appreciation for ALL print material, reference or otherwise, and understand its value for record keeping, historical purposes, entertainment purposes, and storytelling.  That is not  to say that students cannot similarly love and appreciate the swiftness and ease of electronic media at the same time.  As always, it is about generating a BALANCE between sources, and to be able to find information from a variety of sources, both print and non-print. 

I have recently been working with a group of grade 2 students on 'insect research.`  I was sort of pleased when an electronic glitch caused one boy to realise that , sometimes, books are "way easier." He was conducting a google search on scorpions (after a carefully demonstrated lesson of using Worldbook online, the little guy swiftly logged out of that and went straight to google!)  He was mystified at what he was viewing, and called me over to see "this cool video about scorpions!" I came over only to find him watching a rock video from the band The Scorpions.   When we later looked up some information about scorpions in a trade book, he then made the aforementioned comment  about the ease of books.

In the same way that we are discussing how electronic resources seem to be quickly causing the print reference section to become dusty and outdated, Levy discusses the advent of devices like Kindle, which could possibly make printed books redundant.  Will Kindle make the publishing industry redundant, or will it simply be another device for book lovers to explore in addition to print material?  Perhaps variety and options are to everyone`s benefit. 

Teacher Librarian Anthony Carnovale recently wrote about his experiences as a classroom teacher new  to the job as TL by stating that  "new and emerging technologies are redefining the way students learn, communicate, and develop as social beings.  These new technologies are, as a result, redefining the  role that the library and the teacher librarian play in the development process."   As TLs, we need to see technology as a logical part of our job, not standing in opposition to it.

Student preferences for  electronic resources have definitely affected my purchasing.  I will readily admit that the reference section is generally only updated every few years, as opposed to yearly.  Purchasing a new set of print encyclopaedias each year is a school library is not cost effective.  To balance this, our district has purchased home and school rights to EBSCO, Worldbook, and BC Encyclopaedia online.  As an Elementary school TL, I have to filter the money into items that will be used most often by the most students.

Works Cited:

Carnovale, Anthony (2010).  Practicing my Shhhh!  Canadian Teacher.  Vol. 7, No. 1 September 2010, p. 8..

Levy, Stephen  (2007).  The Future of Reading.  Newsweek, Nov. 26, 2007.