In the workplace - FAQ - Cost just one factor to consider

Welcome to FAQ, where school library staff can share their solutions to common problems, and discuss topical issues with colleagues. Each edition of Access, one problem or issue will be highlighted.

CURRENT PROBLEM - Access, Volume 22, Issue 3, 2008

With the Internet fast becoming students' first port of call when it comes to research, should I spend my budget on print resources or on online subscriptions?

Different formats for learning styles
When considering the allocation of funds from the library budget, the modern-day philosophy is to assume that online subscriptions and electronic modes of information
retrieval are the way of the future. Often, principals are quoted as saying they are not going to budget for books in this day and age. They preside over a virtual library - no need for books anymore.

However, have they given consideration to the different learning styles of students? Some students are not able to cope with the vast amounts of information they need to sort through databases. They get lost in the paths that they may choose. Some are not able to read from a screen and therefore have to print everything out. Some students simply like the fact they can sit with a book and know that the information is authentic.

A case to examine is the use of online encyclopedias. Some students are able to adequately use online encyclopedias while some are far more effective with the print version, even though they have the same text. So it is not always about cost. This is one factor to be considered in the book/online resources issue.
Anette Ainsworth, Western Australia

Some may be disadvantaged
Here are a couple of points worth considering:

• Can teachers get access to computer space when they need students to do research? I know that at our school, we cannot fit junior secondary classes in for research as there are never any computing suites available.
• Do all students have access to a computer at home? Some students may be disadvantaged if they don't have a computer at home or they have to share it. And can the databases be accessed from home? Usually this is an extra expense for the library budget.
• The cost of electronic media can sometimes be many times more than the budget allowed. For us, one electronic database costs $2500. Then there is Britannica Online, etc. Schools with small budgets would not cope with these costs.

Wendy Rutten, South Australia

Search skills may not be developed
I say spend your budget on print resources because, as a primary school teacher librarian, too many students do not have the reading or 'Net-searching capabilities to use the Web as their first port of call. In our school, the computers are old and slow but I believe children should be using print resources as their first stop for research. This way, they can have some background knowledge to assess whether what they are encountering on the 'Net is true or not. I allow them to practice searching within specified sites while also teaching them how to critically evaluate websites.
Jean Partridge, Queensland

Both formats have benefits
First, determine the exact nature of the Web resources that students are accessing as their 'first port of call'. It may be found that they are relying on the public Web — particularly content retrieved through Google – rather than online subscriptions. Should this be the case, it will be necessary to actively promote both print and online resources. Print resources are most suited to topics where the facts, and their accepted treatment, are unlikely to change significantly in the near future. Print resources lend themselves to substantial depth of coverage, and their authority can readily be ascertained.

Online subscriptions have the benefit of being able to provide up-to-date information to multiple users and, unlike print resources, are not subject to physical space constraints. On the other hand, the depth of coverage is generally not comparable to that provided by print resources, and some databases include an occasional article of questionable authority.

There is most assuredly still a place in the library for both resource forms however, given the gravitation of students toward the electronic media, consideration should be given to increasing the role of online resources.
Jonathan Dutton, Western Australia

Accessibility, currency and authority
Depending on the area of research, some needs are better met with print and some are better met with online resources. Online journals are useful for their target audience but high school students may be better with the 'Big friendly book of...'. Where currency is critical, then online is useful; where authority is the issue, books may be better. It is worth remembering that an array of useful resources is also available free online. I would recommend using the same issues of accessibility, currency and authority to assess both print and online resources and select the best resource for your clientele. I would also recommend a mix of print and online resources to accommodate different users and their different abilities and needs.
Alison Spicer-Wensley, Western Australia

All sources need to be evaluated
In 2005, when I came to The Cathedral College, there were no databases set up for students or teachers to use. Now we subscribe to: e-Library; Grolier online; Encyclopedia Britannica; Library Webs; Oxford Reference online and its spin-off site. The Source.

On our library web page, we have numerous links to other frequently used and authorative sites such as Spinney Press, Cyberschool, Study Search and hundreds of others.

When it comes to research though, all our teaching staff start with print research: books, newspapers (online and hard copy), magazines, posters, maps etc. Students are
taken through the research process and are told that good research has to be balanced between print and non-print resources

The Web has lots of information but students need to be taught how to evaluate it and determine what is authoritative material, looking for currency, bias, stereotyping etc., just as they do in their research of print material. They need the tools to sift through the maze.

Teachers look at students' reference lists and bibliographies. Students need to show a balance between print and non-print resources (including videos, online references and interviews).

The first thing I read is the bibliography. It is indicative of the amount of research and depth of research done by students. This approach has pretty well stood the test of time.
Lyn Lawrence, Queensland

Reference collection a valuable addition
I have, this year, renewed my reference collection to the tune of $4000 and in terms of usage, it has already paid for itself. I encourage all students, but particularly middle school students, to make reference books (such as encyclopedias) their first point of call before the Internet. I find many students get lost on the Internet if they are not guided through it or directed to specific sites that have been checked by either myself or their teachers. As this library caters for students from years six to 12, I have invested in a more accessible set of encyclopedias designed for younger students, as well as the standards, and both students and teachers have found them valuable. While the Internet is great and is a powerful tool, it is just one avenue for research and enquiry-based learning. Students should continue to be exposed to a range of information sources including books and given the skills to navigate them. As a teacher librarian, I am increasingly concerned by students who arrive in middle school not knowing how to use a table of contents or an index in a book.
Christine Taylor, Queensland

Last updated 17 November 2008