Along with currently not having any computers in the library we also have no subscriptions to databases and I don’t even know if we could afford to have one on our own. I just sent an email to my local sales rep for World Book to get an idea on pricing. If the price is not too high I would seriously consider spending a good chunk of my budget on having an online database. Most of the students do all their research at home and online. Students and teachers know that in most subject areas I don’t have enough books for everyone and some are dated. Throughout the whole year I had very few students come to me and ask for help in finding a book for a project. Every time I questioned a student about their project they always said that they did their research at home using online resources. I think it’s imperative that somehow I purchase some online subscriptions to show students what quality information looks like. Then I need to show them how to use them… TLs cannot shy away from technology. As stated by Riedling at the end of chap 10 we must become the experts, “trained magicians”, with technology and help our students be information literate. This is what our role will be in the future. The more technology there is the more students will need our help. Therefore, I have no problems using my budget to support these inevitable changes.
However the fact that no student asked for help finding books for their projects shows me that the teachers are not encouraging them to use print material. There are some pretty good print resources in the library that students don’t even know exist. For TLs to expect students to want to use print resources we have to show them where they are found, what kind of resources there are and what to do with them. I find that the teachers at my school just assume that students know how and where to find good resources. Without the proper knowledge of how to use the library the students will always turn to electronic resources. Ironically it’s more difficult to find good resources online but students don’t realize that.
I have a bias towards print material. As a teacher when planning a unit I would go to the library and take out all the books on the topic and plan my unit around the resources that I found. I keep expecting the teachers at my school to do the same but very few are. If the teachers are using very few print resources when doing their own research how can I expect them to encourage their students to do the same. In many ways we are fighting a losing battle, hoping to have students use both types of resources.
Until I know how much the subscriptions will cost for my school it’s hard for me to say how much I would be willing to spend. Since our library is so behind technologically speaking it’s essential for me to spend a good chunk of my budget on online resources just to catch up. In a few years, I will need to re-evaluate to see if the databases are being used compared to the new books that I plan on purchasing.
All teachers need to emphasize the importance of using both print and electronic resources. If given the choice students will always go to online resources for the reasons stated in lesson 4. It’s much more appealing and accessible from anywhere. As Riedling states, “the web, albeit a unique one, is merely one more tool for school library media centers.” (p. 109) The internet it not everything and cannot stand alone without books. It is merely a tool that can help find certain kinds of information. All I can do is provide access to both types of resources with lessons on how to use them and hope for the best!
You should investigate "trials" with the various database vendors - stagger them out and use them as bait for your staff. It's free and could take some stress away from your budget for a short period of time.
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