Unshelved by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum
comic strip overdue media

Friday, September 04, 2009

I think I'd be yanking my child out of this school

Welcome to the library. Say goodbye to the books.
Instead of a library, the academy is spending nearly $500,000 to create a "learning center," though that is only one of the names in contention for the new space. In place of the stacks, they are spending $42,000 on three large flat-screen TVs that will project data from the Internet and $20,000 on special laptop-friendly study carrels. Where the reference desk was, they are building a $50,000 coffee shop that will include a $12,000 cappuccino machine.

And to replace those old pulpy devices that have transmitted information since Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 1400s, they have spent $10,000 to buy 18 electronic readers made by Amazon.com and Sony.

Such changes will bring Cushing Academy into the cutting edge of education, according to their headmaster, Dr James Tracy. Okay, so leaving the cost of coffee gizmos and its relation to learning aside for a moment, you're going to have 18 e-book readers to serve the needs of 450 students (or at least that was the number as of 2006)? What about licensing digital content? What about the cost of digital content? What happens when the lights go out? Digital content can enhance learning--but that doesn't mean you have to throw out the baby with the bathwater, either. It's not cheap, it's not always reliable. In some cases print is actually superior--which is why most libraries offer a combination of the two, rather than throwing out all print in favour of electronic data.

The comments are largely against this move; they talk about the visceral experience one has with paper, the ability to browse the stacks for paper topics, the wonder of the library experience. That's rather heartening. (And I agree with one of the commentators...they should get rid of that awful carpet next.) Anyway, check out the story make your own decision. If I were a parent forking over a lot for tuition, I think I'd be appalled.

Thanks to Cynthia David from MEDLIB-L for the link.

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