Recently, school library journals have been fraught with tales of gloom and despair – the libraries are closing. But dig a little deeper, scratch more than the surface, and perhaps we will find that not all school libraries are closing. In fact, the trend suggests that only libraries that are not meeting the updated needs of their students find themselves on the chopping block. Why? The traditional services offered by the traditional school library can no longer be supported under the weight of enormous financial constraints. Although traditional school libraries continue to service students’ basic needs, if libraries are not willing to diversify their services, budget cuts will force school libraries to close because they do not meet the needs of today’s student. Simply put, no one can afford to spend more and get less.
According to a recent American Library Association report (2010), even as school enrollments are increasing, funding for information resources are decreasing, with fewer libraries serving more students. So how do some school libraries continue to flourish and gain importance? By creating progressive hubs for student engagement, ingenuity, diversity, and teamwork and transitioning into media centers, learning commons, information resource centers. But what is really in a name? What is at the heart of the school library? Books? Periodicals? Videos? Yes, yes, and yes. All these resources are housed in the school library, but the library is so much more than that. Alfaro (2009) defines the school library as “…a wealth of information in print and non-print formats categorized to support the knowledge the children will learn in their classrooms, at home, and through first-hand experiences” (p. 30). So how will the libr...
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...effective results. They must utilize available technology, but provide depth and breadth, not just surface-level services.
Abrams (2003) asserts that librarians can “…make a difference over the next five years by understanding what’s coming, learning how it works, seeking key benefits for our students, and becoming the resource in our schools that lifts our learners up to their full potential” (p. 6). It’s actually been almost 10 years since that article was written, and still, a new and challenging development is looming over the library: diversification. This diversity of the library’s workforce, collections, and services offered is beginning to travel outside its current comfortable boundaries and seek to balance actions and obstacles in order to change the way the library does business. The library should “look like” the multicultural world it’s representing.
The essay, “Diversity: The Value of Discomfort” is an argument written by Ronald L Leibowitz in which he addresses a group of graduates about the value of diversity in college. To me, diversity means the unique backgrounds which influence people’s thoughts, ideas, and opinions. Each of the factors in an individual’s background makes them unique, and creates an important facet of our communities. However, we need to recognize and understand diversity, and simply “celebrating” it is not enough—we must embrace it in our colleges, workplaces, neighborhoods, and larger societies.
The New England Aquarium’s foray into diversity was tumultuous and administrators learned lessons the hard way. Despite the early problems administrators faced with the minority youth programs, the needs of both parties were eventually addressed. The aquarium was reaching communities they hadn’t before while young people experienced meaningful job opportunities. Problems within the structural frame were present but I’m confident that the work Rosa Hunter was doing would lead them to eventually restructuring, finding easier ways to communicate and working as a group to reach their mission.
...as a good option to fix their current existing system and expertise their employees due to which they could have got the appropriate intellectual personnel with the success of the project.
The book contains some of what you would expect in a book by revolting librarians. There are the requisite essays on the suppression of civil liberties through the Patriot Act along with essays detailing the problem of cultural representation in the Library of Congress Subject Headings. And of course, there's something both by and about Sandy Berman, a living legend among progressive librarians. But there are also quite a few surprises. Ever curious about the astrological breakdown of librarians? You'll find an extensive article complete with enough statistics to make you break out your notes from IRLS 506. [Leos dominate the field, with Aquarians an astrological minority.] Another notable essay concerns what services librarians can offer to day laborers.
...ly financial and strategic improvements, but also provides a system to bring the organization together as they seek for one true goal that cannot be accomplished without the WHOLE organization actively participating.
... strategic business tool that helps hospitals live up to and surpass these expectations. The above-mentioned agencies help hospitals be all that they can be.
Lukenbill, W. Bernard. "Censorship: What Do School Library Specialists Really Know?" American Library Association. American Association of School Librarians, n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2013. .
Sciame-Giesecke, S., Roden, D., & Parkison, K. (2009). Infusing diversity into the curriculum: What are faculty members actually doing?. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 2, 156-165.
The lectures by Jessica Gillis and Lisa Nowlain showed how a youth services librarian does not fit under one definition and may have very different roles depending on the position. While both obtained their degrees from San Jose State University, their vision and geographical preferences have led them in very different directions.
The culture of today demands efficiency and in turn, technology. Libraries are therefore closing down in the race for money and efficiency. Smith argues for libraries to be saved, and uses a variety of techniques to do so. First, she uses pathos to appeal to the reader’s sentimentality. Then, she uses personal experiences to show the impact of shutting down libraries in everyday lives.
Quality which they demonstrate by continuing commitment to modernization, relevance, and continuing improvement in services, products, and programs.’
Administrators, librarians, teachers and parents all want the best for children. That is why the topic of intellectual freedom in school libraries is often emotional and heated. While the Library Bill of Rights clearly states that information access should not be denied because of age, when it comes to children the discussion gets complicated. Parents have the right to decide what materials are appropriate for their children, but the librarian has to be able to safeguard the collection for the rest of the school. During the career of a school librarian, the topic of censorship will undoubtedly arise. School librarians need to be prepared to support intellectual freedom rights when it comes to the issues of filtering, relocating, and removing information from a library collection.
In conclusion, America provides many ways to help reduce the cost of college textbooks but society is still not satisfied with the outcome. The Open Textbook, Affordable Textbook Act, and book store rentals are wonderful programs, but has its disadvantages that hopefully would be resolved in the 2016 presidential elections. The statistics show that many students across the nation benefit from learning with quality of teaching, the amount of accessibility it provides without having to worry about paying off student loans. School administrations should consider about transferring to an act that would benefit both the school and the students, but also provide more equality to the publishers and students.
Libraries are essential to a community especially in difficult times. Due to rising costs and job losses, patrons may have had to cut their own expenses such as buying books or cancelling their internet service. In order to continue to have access to these materials, patrons turn to their libraries. However, libraries are often the first to get cut in budget reforms. A library can survive a budget crisis by making cuts, fundraising, developing trust, and media exposure.
With technology progressing from drones fulfilling shipments to electronic books becoming cheaper, major companies such as Apple and Amazon have had a big impact on not only the tech industry but the publishing industry as well. Companies are outputting resources like IBook’s and the Kindle bookstore to take full advantage of the transition to digital publishing. As a result of this we have greener, more budget friendly books, and outdated traditional copies of text. With the introduction to these resources it is making the lives of students and the mass market more convenient. Students are now able to purchase books on one device that won’t weigh their bags down on a daily basis. Companies have created bookstores that can be accessed from devices that we use every day, resulting in paperless copies of books that are substantially cheaper than the traditional hard copy. E-books are replacing physical books and textbooks rapidly, and as a result they are becoming more widely and readily available for students.