Do School Libraries Still Need Books?
Yes. Paper books offer a variety of resources and a large scale of accessibility to students, so I believe that, yes, it is still necessary to have books in school libraries, even in the face of the growing popularity regarding e-books. As stimulating as the idea of a digital book is, its practicality is near dismal. In theory, e-books are cost efficient and environment friendly. But in practice, restricting libraries to e-books limits the original purpose intended of books in general—to stimulate and aid in learning. If school libraries convert to digital resources, the level of accessibility to students will decrease drastically. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 31% of households do not have internet access, as of October 2009. So, many students who benefit from an e-book in their school library will not have that same benefit at home. Additionally, the convenience of an e-book can only be noted when it is easily transported on a device such as a Kindle, tablet, or iPad. These resources demonstrate the surge in innovation and technology made in the past decade, as they allow for a deeper interaction between the book and the reader. They also offer the convenience of access to hundreds of books through one small device. However, relatively few Americans have such devices, whether it is due to cost implications or sheer lack of interest. A 2010 Harris Poll gathered that only 8% of (or 19.6 million) Americans own e-Readers, while only 12% intend to purchase one in the future. This poll was collected from adults ages 18 and up, so the projection of school-aged children is likely to be even lower. Until internet and e-Reading accessibilities are increased, paper books must remain in school libraries. This is not to say that e-books are harmful to school libraries, but that libraries cannot reach maximum efficiency without offering access to both types of books. Essentially, a library that is entirely digital is as useful to some students as a library that offers no books at all—the information is simply unattainable.
~Jessi D. | No. As modern technology continues to evolve, education must adapt and change in order to meet the modern world that we exist in. Nowhere is that need for development more prevalent that in school libraries. Electronic books and other modern technology can effectively replace the stacks of books that currently reside in school libraries everywhere and they can do it with better accessibility, less space and less money, while maintaining the scholarly quality of library texts.
One of the most useful tools on digital learning materials is the ability to search for a specific word or phrase throughout the entire media in seconds. By converting school reference books to an electronic format, the time it takes to find information would be greatly reduced. Also, this would enable students who need to write papers on a certain theme of a book to find the necessary support for their position without rereading the entire text. Another advantage of electronic books is the less space that they take to store. While current libraries have shelves upon shelves to hold all of their books, a library that uses e-books instead could greatly reduce the space taken up by books. This would allow for different uses for the library space, such as collaborative learning centers to aid in student education. As school budgets become more of a concern, digital libraries provide a liable option for cutting costs. While there would be an initial cost for digital readers and the technology to store the books on, this investment would easily pay off in the long term. Not only are electronic books cheaper on a one to one ratio, each e-book can be put on up to six devices at once. This means purchasing a single electronic book, a school is buying the equivalent of six copies of the print book. In conclusion, modernizing school libraries by using electronic books can increase the ability of students to effectively learn material. It would also allow for school districts to better use the space currently occupied by libraries and do all of this for only a small long term cost. ~Nick B. |