Searching Like It’s 1999
Old systems send the message that libraries are out of touch
By Brian Kenney, Editor-in-Chief -- School Library Journal, 10/1/2006
The books are old and tattered. The magazines on display are at least two months old. Every piece of technology—from the copier to the computers—wears an “out of order” sign. The beat-up furniture (which helped see Richard Nixon into office) bears graffiti from countless students, and the lighting in the stacks is completely nonexistent.
We’ve all seen them: neglected school libraries. In fact, many of you have helped turn around libraries just like these, transforming them into student-friendly spaces full of current books and other timely materials. You understand that the physical library must be a vital place. You want your students to be welcome in the media center, to know that you are there to guide them, and to feel that the library is—well, maybe not hip—but at least created with today’s kids in mind.
But what about the media center’s online presence? Very often it feels like the electronic version of a neglected school library. According to the 2006 School Library Journal-San Jose State University Automation Survey (see pp. 48–52), the majority of school libraries are using software that was installed before 2000. Why do so many media specialists continue to work with antiquated systems?
Trust me, I’m not on the payroll of any of the automation vendors. And, like you, I approach their products with a healthy dose of consumer skepticism. I know firsthand how unexpectedly “challenging” it can be to upgrade to a new version or install the latest module.
I also know about the money—there’s never enough of it. And I know that many school librarians believe their dollars should go to the resources that make the most impact: books, databases, and other media. But we must also realize that library technology matters.
Because here’s the bottom line: if our libraries can’t provide kids with the same types of experiences they’ve already had on the Internet, we risk losing them. If we can’t offer, and teach, students better ways to use our many complex resources—like federated searching—we risk losing them. And if we can’t integrate our collections and databases into students’ lives 24/7…. Well, you get the message.
This last point—the importance of putting school library catalogs on the Web—is a source of great anxiety for many librarians, including some who manage our nation’s biggest school districts. It’s understandable. If we make our catalogs easily accessible, we risk increased scrutiny from our communities and the possibility of more book challenges. But we should never hide what’s in our collections. It’s time to make sure our policies and procedures are in place and our collections are online. Parents will trust (and use) us more.
Add to this the fact that new automation systems give us the tools to analyze our collections in fresh ways, linking collections to the curriculum and providing us with data on how our resources contribute to student achievement. How well are the latest systems working? I don’t know. But if we aren’t using them, we can’t help shape them.
It isn’t about the snazzy technology. It’s about connecting children and teens with librarians, learning, and collections—the best way we know how.
