Librarians’ Gripes about SoCal Students
Went to lunch with a Librarian friend yesterday. (Yes, I indulged in, not one, but TWO, glasses of iced tea. Refer to 1/23 entry.) Since both of our partners are seasoned and beloved high school teachers, the conversation quickly led to “students today.” It’s lovely to share a gripe once in a while. Keep in mind that we are both SoCal Gals. Over the last five years our public library system’s staff has been diminished by HALF. (We’re not bitter about having to do the same amount of work, though). ALL our local elementary schools employ part-time paraprofessional staff to run the campus libraries. So, instead of getting asked, “What’s good to read,” here are some of the questions we get asked on a DAILY basis:
- Where are the blue dot books (meaning Accelerated Reader)
- What’s the reading level of this book?
- (My personal favorite) How many points is this book worth?
When it comes to research, SoCal students couldn’t find a non fiction book, that is to locate it by Dewey Decimal Classification Number, if their lives depended on it. How do we know? Because when we write down the number and walk them to the shelf, they just stand there, clutching the paper in their hands, not knowing what to do. SoCal students have NO CLUE that the books are miraculously kept in order by subject.
Neither do they understand what an online database is. Here’s another DAILY conversation we have with young researchers.
Student: I’m doing a research paper about You-Who.
Librarian: Let me show you our online databases that have…
Student: (interrupting) I already have my three Internet sources. I need books and articles.
Librarian: This biography database is made up of books and articles. Let me show you… (frantically clicking to pull up the resource before losing the sale)
Student: (interrupting again): I already Googled enough information.
Librarian: (Inner rolling of the eyes and sigh of frustration while watching the hourglass on the screen) You say you need books and articles, right?
Student: (Looking at the dim-witted librarian like she’s FINALLY got it) Yes.
Librarian: If I had a book or magazine article in my hand, what is printed in those pages would be the EXACT SAME as what can be found in this database. The library pays to have this information gathered from credible print resources and puts it in the database so you can do research from home… (adding as an incentive) in your pajamas.
Student: (Looks skeptical)
Librarian: (Link finally loads) Let’s type in You-Who. Click on anything underlined in blue, to read the entire article. If you plan to use the article in your paper, the citation is listed down at the bottom. This one is from an encyclopedia, for example.
Student: (Realizing that he can cut and paste the citation, along with all the other information that supposedly originated from a book, is almost convinced that an online database is useful.) Thank you. (But what he’s really saying is, I’ll try it this time, so you won’t feel bad.”
Librarian: Get an “A” (But what she’s really saying is, “We both know you’re still gonna use Google for your next research paper, huh?”)
My Librarian friend and I shudder at the thought of how the new Core Curriculum State Standards are going to alter reference questions and readers’ advisory. We can hear the questions now, “Where are the CCSS books?”
