Do school libraries still need printed books? In an era of Internet research and e-books, some educators question the need for printed collections.(NEWS DEBATE)

YES An online library can't replace the unique collection of resources that I--like many school librarians--have built over a period of years to serve the specific needs of my students, faculty, and the school's curriculum.

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One of my responsibilities as a librarian is to teach information-literacy skills--including defining research questions; selecting, evaluating, and documenting sources; and avoiding plagiarism. In my experience, this works best face-to-face with students. That personal interaction is supported by electronic materials but is not replaced by it.

Librarians also encourage reading, which is crucial to student success. Focused, engaged reading is more likely to occur with books than with online material.

Today's students, digital natives all, shouldn't miss out on the unique pleasure of getting lost in a physical book. Research shows that the brain functions differently when reading online versus reading a book. Books help develop longer attention spans, the ability to concentrate, and the skill of engaging with a complex issue or idea for an uninterrupted period of time.

One of the beauties of libraries is that we keep up with new technologies, but we also hold on to the old things that work well. We don't have to choose between technology and printed books, and we shouldn't.

-LIZ GRAY, LIBRARY DIRECTOR

DANA HALL SCHOOL, WELLESLEY, MASS.

NO Traditional libraries must be re-imagined to remain vital and better reflect the way students learn and conduct research today. That's why Cushing Academy decided to give away most of our 20,000 print books and transform our library into a digital learning center.

We wanted to create a library that reflects and fosters the reality of how students do research--a library that goes beyond stacks and stacks of underutilized books.

Cushing's library can now deliver thousands of Web-based electronic books and authoritative database content to our students' laptops. The library also encourages offline reading by providing instant access to hundreds of thousands of downloadable electronic books delivered to our nearly 200 electronic readers. Our library is now the most used space on campus, with collaborative learning areas, screens for data feeds from research sites, and more reference stations for our librarians. It has become a hub where students and faculty gather, learn, and explore together.

Cushing today is awash in books in all formats. It's immaterial to us whether students read Shakespeare in print or electronically. In fact, Cushing students are checking out more books than before, using our library's e-readers. I hope Cushing's success will inspire other schools to think about new approaches to education.

--JAMES TRACY, HEADMASTER

CUSHING ACADEMY, ASHBURNHAM, MASS.

What Do You Think?

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