Week 6 Reading Reflection

Times they are a changing... but we still want to talk about it

As I read Prensky's 2011 article " In the 21st-Century University, Let's Ban (Paper) Books" from the paper copy I printed out in order to easily make my own margin notes (I'm trying not to highlight anymore- cause we ALL know now how horribly ineffective that is) I am struck by the fact that most of my classes here at U of M have been completely digital, yet I have binders of printed pdf's of articles and book chapters. As I read through the article I began to think, "is he joking?", especially with the line about professors having limited time (using student helpers) to convert their personal libraries- including margin notes- to an entirely digital format. That's what GSI's get paid big bucks for I guess.

Though as I finished the article, I came to understand that he is serious... so what do I think about that? I'm not really against it. I think his listed advantages of students having interconnected opportunities to engage in discussions about not only the content of the text, but also any thoughts that anyone every had about the text is brilliant. What effect will that have on higher learning, or maybe- librarians? I'm not sure about that yet. I think the academic world is in for a drastic change as a result of the ongoing evolution of the academic publishing world. Or maybe it is the other way around- is the publishing world changing because professors are no longer requiring texts- or the long-forgotten course pack? What about the role of librarians in a "paper book free" university? I hope that librarians will continue to help improve patron access to necessary resources, but- going back to librarians being some of the worst marketers on the planet- we need to help our patrons understand that even if they are "expert searchers" we can and WILL still help patrons by providing access to finding, evaluating, and incorporating this omnipotent virtual resources to create and share new knowledge gleaned from them.

Hoffert's, "The Book Club Exploded" is the perfect antidote to that pesky question, "What will happen to libraries when paper books no longer exist?" What many people do not understand is that paper books ALREADY don't exist- and libraries (well, some of them) have evolved and expanded services with changing media formats. Because that's just what it is- a change in media formats, but libraries are still a repository of knowledge whatever the medium. Unlike the traditional bookstores that have disappeared from the landscape because they merely provide a product, libraries can still thrive in a digital world because they offer a service- providing access to information. The idea of a thematic approach to book clubs is intriguing, and much like my mentor librarian's approach to a new topic in the media center. She likes to draw students in with a picture book (sometimes nonfiction) to get them excited about what is being studied and then share a more fact-based nonfiction text in a subsequent lesson to help them make connections to the what they already know. This would also be very successful in a book club- inclusive, intriguing, and interactive.

Dempsey's, "The Evolving Book Group", again addresses how libraries can provide services beyond the physical space of the library. Not only can libraries become a social gathering space, but they can facilitate social gatherings outside of their physical space. Many innovative ideas were highlighted in this article. I especially appreciated the cooperation between libraries and local businesses. A town thrives when connected services are offered. If I need to make use of more than one store in my town, I make the effort to go there. If I just need to run a quick errand I will find that service at a place where it is easier to park. If the library expands it's services to provide convenient access to under served patrons, then that is a smart library. It is an excellent tool to open up pathways for discussion among under served populations, create new communities of learners, and build a larger "fan base" that might allow for the next library mileage to pass.

Both Tredway's and Metzger's articles discussed the benefits of the Socratic seminar. I wish I had done this in high school, maybe I would have been more comfortable and confident voicing my opinion in front others- a life skill that I feel is absolutely necessary and simple to develop. I appreciated the personal focus of Metzger's article as she explained her introduction, experience, and modification of the traditional Socratic seminar to her freshmen English classes. What struck me was how her students quickly realized that they could be responsible for their own learning. I think this is extremely critical to the generation of active classroom learning. Not only did her students realize that sometimes their teacher got in the way of learning, but they also identified hinderances to classroom discussions and devised techniques to insure that every student benefitted in an active manner. Using students' marked-up readings as a formative assessment tool is a highly effective means of understanding what each student is understanding (or not understanding) about the text. It also struck me that Kristin has already introduced us to the Socratic seminar through our 643 coursework...pre-reading what is to be discussed in class and "journaling" about it. Nice.