PRINT AND/OR DIGITAL: EVIDENCE
FARGO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT 10/9/19
"I will say our district OverDrive platform is well used, although in comparison to print it is a fraction of our circulation. Our district is 12,000 students, so these numbers speak for themselves about how many are using digital!" Amy Soma, District Library Supervisor
10/15/2016 15 Comments “Isn't that the library that did away with books?”
The Cushing Academy in Massachusetts (grades 9-12) eliminated printed books (2009)… and then restored them (2014) for these reasons (quoted from the article):
The loss of a print collection forces some, if not many, readers into reading formats that they do not enjoy or have difficulty using. Cushing’s academic support program, for instance, found the library’s Kindles helpful for some students; others absolutely needed to read from the print page. Consider the features and limitations of digital devices as well (listening, not reading; note-taking, etc).
Digital-only collections narrow the range of available content, and force teachers to seek digital alternatives and alter their course preparation and design. In these situations, the library becomes a driver of how instruction happens in an uncomfortable way by forcing workarounds in some cases.
The promotion of reading, book events and reading clubs -- social elements of the library’s outreach -- are much more difficult without physical books for visual support. Consider Banned Book Week. How do you teach the pernicious effects of banning books when you have removed them from view?
Mark Melchior, MLIS, served as Library Director at Cushing Academy from August 2014 to July 2016
Evidence increases for reading on paper instead of screens
Evidence increases for reading on paper instead of screens Most studies point to better reading comprehension from printed material, researcher says
