Photos of the middle school library (grades 6-8) and the high school library (grades 9-12) at my current school.
I think we would still build libraries today….in fact, we still do! Our highschool and middle school libraries had a major renovation a year ago – if our school board and senior leadership did not think that a physical space was worth a library, they would have used this space and money for another purpose, as space is at a premium as our student numbers increase. These current library spaces are vibrant, with lots of foot traffic from both students and teachers. Study rooms for collaboration with small groups within the libraries are fully booked. My history class loved to spend a period in the library. If we were reading and notetaking, it was the place they wanted to be – with quiet nooks, comfortable chairs, floor to ceiling windows looking out over the city – the library provided a ‘different feel’ from the classroom.
Then there is the research – readers still prefer to have a physical book in hand (Loh & Sun, 2018; Tosun, 2014; Zhang & Kudva, 2014), particularly when reading for pleasure (Enis, 2018). Studies have shown that reading comprehension is greater when reading print (Gray, 2017). The well researched correlation between a well resourced school library and increased student achievement (Lance & Kachel, 2018) cements the library as a portal of access to printed material for a long time to come.
However, we do need to look to the future and libraries and other knowledge institutions “need to reinvent and reposition themselves” (British Library Vision 2020). Increasingly, libraries have a significant part to play in equal access to digital materials as well (and not just ebooks!) IFLA (2018) looks to the future of libraries as spaces in which citizenship and democracy are promoted (p. 1). The library can act as a great leveller – equal access for all, no matter what abilities, gender or what socioeconomic status a reader has and have a vital role in promoting tolerance and diversity. Time and time again, the physical space has provided a safe place for students and an opportunity to see diversity (whether it be on the shelves in printed material or access to digital information).
As libraries seek to reinvent themselves and provide timely access to information for patrons, the teacher librarian’s role is invaluable. It is they who can provide a bridge between what needs to be kept and cherished and what needs to be at the digital forefront as our readers operate in an increasingly digitally connected, multiliterate world.
In short, I think we shall see library spaces built for a long time to come.
References
The British Library. (n.d.). British library’s 2020 vision launched today. The British Library. https://www.bl.uk/press-releases/2010/september/british-librarys-2020-vision-launched-today#
Enis, M. (2018, March 27). College students prefer print for long-form reading, ebooks for research. Library Journal. https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=college-students-prefer-print-long-form-reading-ebooks-research-lj-survey#:~:text=sponsored%20by%20EBSCO.-,Most%20college%20students%20prefer%20to%20read%20print%20books%20for%20pleasure,department%20and%20sponsored%20by%20EBSCO.
Gray, M. (2017). Ebooks: To subscribe, or not to subscribe? Connections, (101).
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. (2018, August 12). How libraries provide safe spaces for (all) youth. IFLA.
Lance, K. C., & Kachel, D. C. (2018, March 26). Why school librarians matter: What years of research tell us. Phi Delta Kappan. https://kappanonline.org/lance-kachel-school-librarians-matter-years-research/
Loh, C. E., & Sun, B. (2019). “I’d still prefer to read the hard copy”: Adolescents’ print and digital reading habits. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 62(6), 663-672. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.904
Parkes, D. (2010). Transforming the library – e-books and e-buildings. In D. Parkes & G. Walton (Authors), Web 2.0 and libraries: Impacts, technologies and trends (pp. 13-29). Chandos.
Tosun, N. (2014). A study on reading printed books or ebooks: Reasons for student-teacher preferences. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 13(1), 21-28.
Zhang, Y., & Kudva, S. (2014). E-books versus print books: Readers’ choices and preferences across contexts. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 65(8), 1695-1706. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.23076