Not Your Grandmother's Library!

Source:
Perez, L. (2011, March/April). Not your grandmother's library!. Learning and Leading with Technology, 16-19. ISTE: Eugene, OR.

The Article 
     The article Not Your Grandmother's Library! by Lisa Perez explores how certain school librarians are adapting to the latest technologies in order to best help their students succeed. Perez's purpose in writing the article is to show how even without the most high-tech facilities or resources, librarians with determination can find effective ways to stimulate students. In other words, with some savvy tech knowledge and creative uses for easily accessible Web 2.0 sites, a little can go a long way in terms of how much students learn. I think that Perez is successful in her purpose because of the examples she gives and the resources she offers. 

     Perez focuses on three librarians and their work in their respective schools. She also finishes up the article by commenting on the way that technology is used by librarians will empower students, and again shares examples. The librarians she talks about represent different locations in the United States, from Pennsylvania to Alabama and California. They also represent the different income levels that schools have, and showcase how librarians work with their specific situation. I think that trying to give more than one viewpoint and trying to represent differences that readers will identify with helps the article become stronger. It is interesting to note that the librarians she writes about mention some of the Web 2.0 tools we have learned about in class as well, such as VoiceThread, wikis, blogging, and specially-funded programs for schools to use at no cost, like the Streetside Stories program for students in Los Angeles. 

My Response and NETS 
     I believe that in the midst of so much advancement in technology, school libraries definitely have a hard time modernizing in order to fit their students needs. Like Perez states, a lot of libraries are still fashioned in antiquated ways, ways that do not suit 21st-century learners. For example, I remember my high school having a library that had a lot of books, but a computer system that was not very developed. The computers were outdated and the internet was more often than not, very slow. We had two librarians, and they worked very hard to try to accommodate to changing times, but struggled with the process. I believe that a website for our school library would have been very helpful, as many of the resources that librarians did not get to talk to us about could have been listed there. Many of these could have been Web 2.0 tools that help with common projects that were assigned at our school, or resources to help us learn more about classroom topics in creative ways. Related to this is one of the aspects that interested me the most about Perez's article is how a librarian from Alabama found a way to incorporate podcasts and wiki pages to an English class's reading of Hamlet. That was definitely an interesting way to approach a well-established component of the literary canon, one that goes beyond the usual read-and-watch a movie approach. 
     
     The topics that this article touches on relates to NETS for Students #3-Research and Information Fluency and #6-Technology Operations and Concepts. Standard #3 is met through students using the tools librarians teach them about in order to research and apply information learned through digital tools into their schoolwork. #6 is met through their learning how to use these tools effectively, as best relates to their specific purpose with them. Because this article is aimed at school librarians and the teachers who work with them, the NETS for students can also be applied. Specifically, NETS #1-Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Innovation, #2-Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments, and #3-Model Digital-Age Work and Learning. By constantly learning about what is available for students to use, analyzing and then modeling for students, librarians and teachers are looking out for students. They truly will be preparing them to the best of their abilities.