August/September 2016 57 how woefully derelict California public schools are at advancing these skills, consider that a recent report showed that only 9 percent of public schools have part- or full-time librarians. And that lack of trained personnel comes at a time when more than ever students need guidance. Local private school librarians say that it’s a fallacy to think that students can get everything they need online without librarians acting as intermediaries to show them the way and teach necessary research skills. That is why digital research techniques are woven into class curriculums. “Intermediaries, I would argue, are more important than they’ve ever been,” says Smith. “In an age when anyone can push out massive amounts of information into the world, accurate or inaccurate, for good or for ill, those that can sort through it and evaluate it will be well equipped for stepping into the future.” IT ALL S TARTS WITH S TORY Have we mentioned fun? Probably not: Libraries have become so integrated into academic and business learning strategies that the pure pleasure of reading easily gets overlooked. But plenty of students still browse books to read just for enjoyment. In Harker’s preschool, that starts with frequent visits and good old-fashioned story times. Preschool is purposely kept low tech. The love of stories is nurtured within the library and classrooms by making literature come alive using the senses; one of the school’s highlights— and a much beloved tradition—is the second grade Ogre Awards, when the young students dress up in costume and give awards a la Oscar-style to fairytale characters in front of a large audience of families and classmates. In kindergarten technology tools like iPads are introduced, and by third grade the curriculum begins to shift toward information literacy. One example is the use of online tools like NoodleTools. com, which teach students how to cite sources and take notes. In high school, digital library resources include databases, and even Harker’s very popular Book Blog, to which both teachers and students contribute. A large contingent of avid readers post continuously to the ever-expanding blog their candid reviews of books they’ve read to the benefit of the school’s community. It serves as an important tool in promoting “pleasure reading.” Librarians at many local private schools say reading for pleasure is another way to promote lifelong learning. NAVIGATING THE W ORLD WILD WEB While enjoyment breeds curiosity, which in turn breeds expanded awareness, there are basic requirements in mastering the tools of the trade to take full advantage of available resources. “Searching the Internet demands a very different set of skills,” Smith says. “The Internet has no editor, there’s no filter, so the struggle for a 21st century learner is, ‘How do I get the best information, and only the relevant information, by constructing the right search in that Google box?’” Once students have that they also need to be able to determine if they can legally use the information. Do they need permission? How to obtain it, if so? “Of everything the Harker library program has taught me, the information the librarians have imparted on academic honesty, fair use and citations will without a doubt will be most helpful as I head into college and beyond,” says junior Andrew Rule, 16. “The digital world is full of ambiguities—with so much content I T ’S A FALLACY TO THINK THAT STUDENTS CAN GET EVERYTHING THEY NEED ONLINE WITHOUT LIBRARIANS ACTING AS INTERMEDIARIES.
South Bay Accent - AugSep 2016
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