Comments on: School Librarians Are Heroes http://wanderingeyre.com/2007/12/19/school-librarians-are-heroes/ traversing life with words Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:56:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Uncontrolled Vocabulary #24 - Librarian-Patron Privilege | Uncontrolled Vocabulary http://wanderingeyre.com/2007/12/19/school-librarians-are-heroes/comment-page-1/#comment-20718 Uncontrolled Vocabulary #24 - Librarian-Patron Privilege | Uncontrolled Vocabulary Sun, 02 Mar 2008 04:49:33 +0000 http://wanderingeyre.com/2007/12/19/school-librarians-are-heroes/#comment-20718 [...] Submissions we didn’t get to: Documents of Library in Boston to Go on Web (New York Times) NIH: $29b in Health Science Set to Go Online for Free (ReadWriteWeb) yeah, that might work (Attempting Elegance) Don’t let DRM get between you and a good book (DefectiveByDesign.org) School Librarians Are Heroes (A Wandering Eyre) [...] [...] Submissions we didn’t get to: Documents of Library in Boston to Go on Web (New York Times) NIH: $29b in Health Science Set to Go Online for Free (ReadWriteWeb) yeah, that might work (Attempting Elegance) Don’t let DRM get between you and a good book (DefectiveByDesign.org) School Librarians Are Heroes (A Wandering Eyre) [...]

]]> By: Gary Ciszewski http://wanderingeyre.com/2007/12/19/school-librarians-are-heroes/comment-page-1/#comment-16361 Gary Ciszewski Fri, 21 Dec 2007 13:08:14 +0000 http://wanderingeyre.com/2007/12/19/school-librarians-are-heroes/#comment-16361 The fact of the matter it is. Web 2.0 technologies aside, I have seen situations where librarians’ workstations are so locked down they cannot perform the most simplest of tasks. To be able to download records via FTP from a vendor? Blocked. Being able to save a record from LOC to be edited for their own catalog? Blocked. Yahoo mail? Blocked, and never mind that you’ve subscribed to various professional discussion lists on your personal account over the years and want to log in and review them. USB thumb drives? Blocked. Deep Freeze? I can see this being installed on student machines, but librarians’ machines? Then they are forced to be on the defensive as to exactly why are they are trying to do these things — as if they are doing something illegal. Why exactly do you need the machine unfrozen? Then it becomes the decision of the administration and / or technical staff (not a librarian) as to whether the request is valid. If something is unblocked it will be re-blocked at the start of next school year, and one has to go through the same request and justification again like Groundhog Day. The bottom line becomes administrators do not treat teachers, and librarians especially, as professionals, no matter how much they pontificate being “cutting edge technology” to the contrary. Those statements are for PR, and serve no other purpose. They definitely are not put into practice. The fact of the matter it is. Web 2.0 technologies aside, I have seen situations where librarians’ workstations are so locked down they cannot perform the most simplest of tasks. To be able to download records via FTP from a vendor? Blocked. Being able to save a record from LOC to be edited for their own catalog? Blocked. Yahoo mail? Blocked, and never mind that you’ve subscribed to various professional discussion lists on your personal account over the years and want to log in and review them. USB thumb drives? Blocked. Deep Freeze? I can see this being installed on student machines, but librarians’ machines? Then they are forced to be on the defensive as to exactly why are they are trying to do these things — as if they are doing something illegal. Why exactly do you need the machine unfrozen? Then it becomes the decision of the administration and / or technical staff (not a librarian) as to whether the request is valid. If something is unblocked it will be re-blocked at the start of next school year, and one has to go through the same request and justification again like Groundhog Day.

The bottom line becomes administrators do not treat teachers, and librarians especially, as professionals, no matter how much they pontificate being “cutting edge technology” to the contrary. Those statements are for PR, and serve no other purpose. They definitely are not put into practice.

]]> By: Technology in the School Library « The Searching Librarian http://wanderingeyre.com/2007/12/19/school-librarians-are-heroes/comment-page-1/#comment-16332 Technology in the School Library « The Searching Librarian Thu, 20 Dec 2007 23:28:24 +0000 http://wanderingeyre.com/2007/12/19/school-librarians-are-heroes/#comment-16332 [...] 20, 2007 by searchinglibrarian A Wandering Eyre writes an interesting post about school librarians and technology problems and challenges within [...] [...] 20, 2007 by searchinglibrarian A Wandering Eyre writes an interesting post about school librarians and technology problems and challenges within [...]

]]> By: Angel http://wanderingeyre.com/2007/12/19/school-librarians-are-heroes/comment-page-1/#comment-16282 Angel Thu, 20 Dec 2007 03:27:54 +0000 http://wanderingeyre.com/2007/12/19/school-librarians-are-heroes/#comment-16282 The "child" treatment is pretty common in public schools. It was in force back in the day when I was a school teacher, and I get the feeling that with the Internet, it has gotten worse. Sad, given teachers like the ones you worked with are the ones entrusted with educating our children. Makes one wonder about priorities. Anyhow, sounds like they are doing their best to overcome. Best, and keep on blogging. The “child” treatment is pretty common in public schools. It was in force back in the day when I was a school teacher, and I get the feeling that with the Internet, it has gotten worse. Sad, given teachers like the ones you worked with are the ones entrusted with educating our children. Makes one wonder about priorities. Anyhow, sounds like they are doing their best to overcome.

Best, and keep on blogging.

]]> By: Infomancy » On Being a School Librarian http://wanderingeyre.com/2007/12/19/school-librarians-are-heroes/comment-page-1/#comment-16273 Infomancy » On Being a School Librarian Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:15:42 +0000 http://wanderingeyre.com/2007/12/19/school-librarians-are-heroes/#comment-16273 [...] The thing that shocked me the most was their lack of access to technology. These wonderful people we were expecting to teach our children about information can not even access the information themselves. The system is broken almost beyond repair. -A Wandering Eyre [...] [...] The thing that shocked me the most was their lack of access to technology. These wonderful people we were expecting to teach our children about information can not even access the information themselves. The system is broken almost beyond repair. -A Wandering Eyre [...]

]]> By: Christopher Harris http://wanderingeyre.com/2007/12/19/school-librarians-are-heroes/comment-page-1/#comment-16271 Christopher Harris Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:08:20 +0000 http://wanderingeyre.com/2007/12/19/school-librarians-are-heroes/#comment-16271 Michelle, All I can say is thank you. Your leadership for this institute was exceptionally balanced; acknowledgment that school libraries have challenges, but a constant focus on finding solutions. Michelle,
All I can say is thank you. Your leadership for this institute was exceptionally balanced; acknowledgment that school libraries have challenges, but a constant focus on finding solutions.

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