Schools turn the page on library books
From dictionaries and encyclopedias to biographies and poetry collections, nonfiction books are disappearing from some Broward County high school libraries.
School leaders say they are not needed because that information is accessible online or in the district’s collection of electronic books. They say going digital saves money because electronic resources can be updated instantly, rather than replaced.
But others question whether it’s the right move, saying Wikipedia is not the same as an encyclopedia, deeper research skills are needed for college, and e-books are not accessible to all.
“What they don’t understand is, in nonfiction you have poetry. Poetry doesn’t change. You have history. History doesn’t change,” said Sharon Rhoades, a former
Pompano Beach High media specialist. “I can understand the science part of it to a certain extent, and the technology. But nonfiction is more than that.”
Cypress Bay and Pompano Beach high schools both eliminated nonfiction books in recent months. Fiction books have stayed on the shelves in greater numbers because students check them out more often, administrators said.
Libraries in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County schools also are adding to their digital collections and embracing electronics, but they are keeping their print books.
But in Broward, schools are moving toward digital formats for nonfiction because they offer lower maintenance costs and more current and relevant information.
“A perfect example is, we have many books where Pluto is still called a planet, which is not correct. And that has to go away,” said Lynne Oakvik, curriculum supervisor for library media programs. “And that happens all the time with nonfiction books.”
Cypress Bay High is believed to be the first school in the district to have ditched print nonfiction almost entirely.
The Weston school gutted its media center last summer, replacing the carpet and installing flatscreen TVs and new workstations with chargers for electronics. Bookshelves were cleared out and a new media center, called “The Wave,” debuted last fall.
Administrators shipped nonfiction books to other schools and contracted a company to make books available to students online.
“They don’t need to go to the media center now to be able to check out a book,” Assistant Principal Marianela Estripeaut said.
It’s not clear whether every book once available in the library made it to the online system. Rhoades said the school once had 22,000 books. There are now 4,616 books in the print collection and 6,000 digital resources online, with plans to add more, according to district spokeswoman Nadine Drew.
At Pompano Beach High, where library updates are planned, nonfiction books were laid out on tables and given away to teachers, students and community members for free.
Parent Cara Matthews said there were 10 long tables covered with thousands of books. She called it a free-for-all, with kids hauling out garbage bags full of books. Later, she heard they were checking the price tags and planned to sell the books online.
“When I saw it, I thought, ‘That’s great, they allwant to read,’” Matthews said. “But it was too enthusiastic.”
Oakvik said the school is not eliminating its entire nonfiction collection. She said that some of the books are being held in a district warehouse during renovations and that only outdated oneswere given away.
Leslie Preddy, president of the American Association of School Librarians, predicts that someday — at least 10 years from now — the majority of school libraries might have mostly digital books. But she said that day can’t come until schools are sure every single student has an electronic device.
“That’s the whole point of having a print collection that can be checked out — so that students can carry it homeandlearn of their own free will and their own free time,” she said.
bshammas@tribpub.com, 954-356-4528 or Twitter @britsham