From: maggie_bo_at_comcast.net
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:57:13 +0000 (UTC)

Here's part of the issue:В  back in the day, kids just researched topic s that teachers knew they could find printed info on in the school library. No more.В Because so much is available online, teachers now expect stu dents to be able to come up with answers to just about any research questio n that can be asked.В In most school libraries, no matter how many wond erful nonfiction books we have, there are many, many topics that are not ad dressed in any of these books--or, if they are, they are not addressed in t he detail the student needs.В  Even students who actually preferВ u sing print sourcesВ (and I do haveВ a lotВ of those, believe it or not) often have to turn to google (or library databases,В if I have any say about it)В for information, or at least supplemental informati on.

I think there is no way around the fact that GoogleВ and otherВ web -based sources are becoming the new non-fiction when it comes to ready refe rence, and even some kinds of in-depth research.В  В  However, a lo t of the nonfiction books that are being cited on this list--the beautifull y illustrated and/or thought-provoking "true" books on any variety of subje cts, fascinating biographies, i.e., the kinds of books that are read andВ savored much as fiction books are--can't be replaced by Google.В  I have been leaning toward purchasing more of these types of more literary no nfiction books, and fewer referenceВ books, for my middle school librar y.

Maggie Bokelman

Eagle View Middle School

Mechanicsburg, PA
Received on Tue 12 Oct 2010 09:57:13 PM CDT