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May 2, 2008
A clear focus
From James Christie:
I'm probably going to get lynched by a rampaging mob of library bloggers for saying this, but Roy Clare may have the right idea. I came out two years ago and said that libraries should be about books and reading. Not that IT should be thrown out completely, but that books and reading were our core values and let's stop hemming and hawing about it. Roy Clare says "the future for libraries lies in integrating with local services around reading and books" and he intends to "brave controversy". Well, please do so, Roy. PLEASE. Cut out the big words, get back to basics and give us good well-stocked libraries.
On a personal note, though, I'm sick to death of hearing about databases, cross-connected or otherwise. Time and again, IT projects driven by people obsessed with the "white heat" of technology waste time and money which would be better spent elsewhere. Trim down those conservatives, Roy, read my blog "The Gordian Knot", make some unpopular decisions and apply some hard common sense.
Posted by Perkins at May 2, 2008 3:52 PM
Comments
How I agree! Now talk to headteachers in many schools who are closing down their libraries, sacking their librarians and creating more and more IT spaces for the students. Has anyone actually proved that more ICT raises achievement? Can we prove that reading from real books does?
Many of us know of teachers who discourage students from using books in this kind of way:
"If you don't behave, you will have to use the books, not the computers".
If we don't support school librarians, there will be very few adults capable of reading a whole book in a few years!
Posted by: Anne Robinson at May 2, 2008 9:34 PM