The Library as a Digital Learning Space
22.05.12
Maureen Snyder, library media specialist, said books and a physical space almost didn't make it onto the agenda for the new facility. "We toyed with the idea of not having books and developing a more digitized environment," Snyder said. "At one point we even wondered if we needed a physical environment at all for the new library."
The more traditional route won out when the superintendent and staff decided that Simsbury High School's 1,630 students needed somewhere to go to borrow books, load up their e-readers, collaborate on homework assignments, and learn the intricacies of media literacy in today's information-rich world.
Snyder estimated her budget to be $20,000 annually for digital media and $4,000 for print. "I don't allocate a lot towards print because we can get so many books electronically," said Snyder. "Plus, it just doesn't make sense to purchase a lot of high-end reference books when I can access a database that includes those resources." Students retrieve those digital databases on a 24/7 basis at school or at home, according to Snyder, who said most of the library's print content comprises recreational reads, including biographies, fiction, and non-fiction titles.
Source: T.H.E. Journal