Sunday, November 17, 2013
Libraries; Virtual or Physical?
The availability of technology is making it easier for people to access reading content, virtually. Should the physical brick and mortar library transform to a more digital or virtual library without physical books?
I would argue that both, the traditional library, and a virtual library have benefits in education. Each entity fills it's own educational niche and provides various opportunities for learning. This small digital story better explains my opinion on this issue.
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Michael, great job! I agree, the blended brick and mortar virtual library sounds like a combination of all that we need for our students these days.
ReplyDeleteAww, you didn't give us the link to comment on you VT! I think you can have both, the brick and mortar library can also provide digital services which are accessible remotely. Just like we have at SNHU, there is a physical building (which they are replacing with a huge steel and glass building across the street from the original site).
ReplyDeleteI would assert that Cushing's library IS a brick and mortar library that also offers digital services and digital books, as well as a place for interaction and collaboration. (See http://www.cushing.org/library). To me virtual means not real, online only, like EBSCO, or Second Life, but then I tend to be a bit literal at times. But I think that the point is Librarians or Library Media Specialists, as my school librarian calls herself, need to reinvent their job description, they are no longer book peddlers who hush the clientele, but they need to offer services and training on online research techniques and be technologically savvy. It's ironic that my school librarian (easier to type) was at the American Association of School Libraries conference (#aasl13) this week where they were discussing this topic.
Nice VoiceThread!
Great Voicethread Mike!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the present need for both the physical and virtual libraries as access to the virtual libraries are current limited to only those with high speed internet and the devices. There may come a day when all will have access to the virtual libraries and the traditional ones may close, but right now I do not foresee that anytime soon. I am glad that many libraries offer both to serve the needs of the public better.
I agree with you. The best of both worlds. It is necessary to have a blended space. Books are amazing and nooks are cool too. I think it depends on the type of learner and what works best for them. Some may do better using a nook as it could help with the dictionary for words unknown to them. They also might have a service on an ipad that might read the book for them. This is a cool interview. I had never heard this one before! This is the school my daughter attends. I think it is so cool that they were the pioneers! It happened the year before she attended. They were all given iPads as sophomores to try a 1:1 project. Cool file. Can you share the link with me to the interview?
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to the story...http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120097876.
DeleteSmall world that you have such a close connection to this school in the interview. I think most middle and secondary level schools could use this school as an exemplar of what the library can evolve into.