“School partnerships can help keep libraries accessible”
By Dick Hughes, August 28, 2008
URL: http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080828/COLUMN0704/808280325/1125/OPINION
Libraries around the United States are shortening hours, lying off workers, and even closing due to competition for local tax dollars. Libraries must compete against the fireman, the schools, the sheriff, and the parks and recreation offices for money. A lot of times libraries are last on the list because they are thought to be not as important as the others. This contradicts some community’s efforts which promote literacy and families reading together. In order to keep libraries in communities Salem, a city in Oregon, has started various programs. A few of them are Operation Bookshelf which delivers books to residents not able to leave their homes, story time at homeless shelters and day-care centers, and visiting every first grade in Salem to get students involved with books. The Washoe County Library System in Nevada has partnered with the school system in hopes of keeping the library open for the future. Within this library system there are 13 libraries, two are located in elementary schools, one in a senior center, and one in a high school. The libraries operate under school district policies and serve only students during school hours, but during non school hours the libraries operate as other public libraries do. Partnerships such as this will not solve the library’s money situation but it can help keep them open and accessible.
Although I have not used a public library in years, I feel that it is very important to keep them open and accessible to all. If UNCW did not have a library then I would definitely go to the public library to do my research for school papers. It is important for libraries to stay open for generations to come because children, even in today’s society, love going to the library and getting new books. There are many children I babysit that go to the public library once a week to get new books and I feel that it helps them get a head start on their education.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
news report 1: e-books
“Libraries reserve judgment on e-books”
By John Cousins, Bay of Plenty Times Newspaper, August 26 2008.
URL:
http://www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3782751&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection
Public libraries in Tauranga New Zealand are figuring out that paper books might continue to be more popular than e-books. Jill Best, the manager of Tauranga’s libraries, continues to watch the evolution of e-books and is still waiting for a format that people can afford and that the library can depend on. Classic books for which the copyright has expired are currently the only books that can be downloaded to home computers from the library’s website. A major downside to e-books are that the reader must read the book from the computer screen, which limits the comfort of the reader. To solve this issue a portable e-book reader was invented at a cost of $500-$600. With this outstanding price the device will not be available to check out to library members, according to the Tauranga libraries. Another issue with e-books is that copyright can now last up to 70 years after the death of the author. With this being said, it could take decades before a book becomes available as an e-book. E-books also require a lot of space to download which will in turn make the computer slower. With all of these factors considered, Ms Best said that affordability could end up being the main reason traditional library books win the competition with e-books.
I feel that traditional books will continue to win support over e-books. I would much rather have the comfort of carrying around a book with me than a computer or portable e-book reader. It would be difficult to read on the beach, even if you had an e-book reader due to the fear of ruining the expensive equipment from the sand. Also, I would not want to slow my computer down by downloading an entire book to it or having to wait so many years to read a new release.
By John Cousins, Bay of Plenty Times Newspaper, August 26 2008.
URL:
http://www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3782751&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection
Public libraries in Tauranga New Zealand are figuring out that paper books might continue to be more popular than e-books. Jill Best, the manager of Tauranga’s libraries, continues to watch the evolution of e-books and is still waiting for a format that people can afford and that the library can depend on. Classic books for which the copyright has expired are currently the only books that can be downloaded to home computers from the library’s website. A major downside to e-books are that the reader must read the book from the computer screen, which limits the comfort of the reader. To solve this issue a portable e-book reader was invented at a cost of $500-$600. With this outstanding price the device will not be available to check out to library members, according to the Tauranga libraries. Another issue with e-books is that copyright can now last up to 70 years after the death of the author. With this being said, it could take decades before a book becomes available as an e-book. E-books also require a lot of space to download which will in turn make the computer slower. With all of these factors considered, Ms Best said that affordability could end up being the main reason traditional library books win the competition with e-books.
I feel that traditional books will continue to win support over e-books. I would much rather have the comfort of carrying around a book with me than a computer or portable e-book reader. It would be difficult to read on the beach, even if you had an e-book reader due to the fear of ruining the expensive equipment from the sand. Also, I would not want to slow my computer down by downloading an entire book to it or having to wait so many years to read a new release.
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