April 15th 2009
"Economy highlights libraries"
Bucks County Courier Times
Amanda Cregan
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/courier_times/courier_times_news_details/article/28/2009/april/15/economy-highlights-libraries-1.html
This story was focused on how public libraries, namely Bucks County Free Library, have seen a rise in visitors. The cause for the surge is the recent economic recession which has struck, and left many citizens a lot worse off in the wallet. A lot of newcomers are visiting because they cannot afford to buy the books they used, when they can just read them for free now. Others have come for the free computer access, which enables them to do anything from learn how to use it, to look for jobs online. With not everyone having access to a computer it certainly helps bridge the divide. A lot of people are realizing that the free alternatives the library provides are greatly needed in this time of economic turmoil. The recent surge in numbers has left some library personnel stretched a little thin, but some workers, like branch manager Dianne Malvoso, is happy that these people are “taking advantage of them more than ever.”
I found this story really uplifting because almost every other story I have come across recently relating to libraries has been a negative one. Most stories are about either libraries being downsized or disbanded altogether, so to see a library really doing well in these times is good to hear. I also think it is a good thing that people are starting to use these public libraries and their resources; the story about the woman who bought a book from Borders only to ask herself why immediately after resonated with me, too. I have been doing that a little bit lately, and I think a lot of often forget how accessible and price-friendly these public libraries are. I just hope that these library personnel do not get taken advantage of at these jobs now, as most of them are seemingly wearing several different hats every day they come to work.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
News Report 4
The New York Times
“In Web Age, Library Job Gets Update”
Motoko Rich
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/books/16libr.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
February 15th 2009
This article was once again about libraries and the struggle they face with attempting to mesh with all the new information technology. Also, in this recession we currently face, a lot of librarians are the first workers to be cut when the budget needs restructuring. A lot of parents have expressed outrage over this, as librarians are not just keepers of the library, rather they are teaching students, especially young kids, how to think with an open-mind. Most school librarians are realizing that in this new information age it is better to get with the times than to be left behind. Therefore many of them are implementing new ways to make learning and reading fun. Stephanie Rosalia, a librarian in New York, teaches her young students information literacy skills, for instance. Her take on all of this is that if you can at least get children wanting to learn and read anything, then they will probably eventually come to want to read books.
I found the article relevant to a lot of our class discussions. I also thought it was sad that almost always the first job to get cut in school budgets is the librarian job. These librarians obviously play a pivotal role in today’s information age, because we all know that the information that is so readily available to us is not always reliable. Without anyone to tell young people this, they may go on assuming that everything they read is true, which is not a good premise for life or learning. I think it will be interesting to see how libraries and librarians’ roles evolve in the coming years. Already we have begun to see a shift in their job description, because when I was coming through grade school the librarians did not teach the students the types of things outlined in this article. Also, I do not believe this class I am currently taking would have been available to me years ago.
“In Web Age, Library Job Gets Update”
Motoko Rich
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/books/16libr.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
February 15th 2009
This article was once again about libraries and the struggle they face with attempting to mesh with all the new information technology. Also, in this recession we currently face, a lot of librarians are the first workers to be cut when the budget needs restructuring. A lot of parents have expressed outrage over this, as librarians are not just keepers of the library, rather they are teaching students, especially young kids, how to think with an open-mind. Most school librarians are realizing that in this new information age it is better to get with the times than to be left behind. Therefore many of them are implementing new ways to make learning and reading fun. Stephanie Rosalia, a librarian in New York, teaches her young students information literacy skills, for instance. Her take on all of this is that if you can at least get children wanting to learn and read anything, then they will probably eventually come to want to read books.
I found the article relevant to a lot of our class discussions. I also thought it was sad that almost always the first job to get cut in school budgets is the librarian job. These librarians obviously play a pivotal role in today’s information age, because we all know that the information that is so readily available to us is not always reliable. Without anyone to tell young people this, they may go on assuming that everything they read is true, which is not a good premise for life or learning. I think it will be interesting to see how libraries and librarians’ roles evolve in the coming years. Already we have begun to see a shift in their job description, because when I was coming through grade school the librarians did not teach the students the types of things outlined in this article. Also, I do not believe this class I am currently taking would have been available to me years ago.
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