01-19-04 or 1320
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From: "PUBYAC: PUBlic librarians serving Young Adults and Children" <pubyac@prairienet.org>
To: "PUBYAC: PUBlic librarians serving Young Adults and Children" <pubyac@prairienet.org>
Sent: Monday, January 19, 2004 11:01 PM
Subject: PUBYAC digest 1320

    PUBYAC Digest 1320

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Re: library as entertainment center for young children
by Rebecca Rankin <rlrankin@sharon.lib.wi.us>

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From: Rebecca Rankin <rlrankin@sharon.lib.wi.us>
To: jbaker93711@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: library as entertainment center for young children
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Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2004 23:02:09 CST

There is much more to the library than books.  That includes computers for
informational and recreational use.  The public sees libraries this way, and
we shouldn't forget that.  I think the image of the public library as an
information center complete with modern technology has helped us survive.
We all have patrons who solely use the library to check their email.  Big
deal.  Not everybody likes to read.  That doesn't mean there's no place for
them at the library, or that the library has nothing to offer them.  Society
has evolved with the introduction of the Internet and the information age.
Why shouldn't libraries evolve too?  I personally feel as a public librarian
that I am in no place to make judgements about how much anyone of any age
reads, watches tv, uses the computer, etc.  We give people what they ask
for.  It is their (and in the case of children, their parents') decisions to
make about how they spend their time in and out of the library.  We need to
be careful
 not to underrate recreation.  There is much to be learned from playing
computer games AND reading romance novels.  My two cents.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Rankin, Director
Brigham Memorial Library
131 Plain Street
Sharon, WI 53585
262-736-4249
rlrankin@sharon.lib.wi.us

----- Original Message -----
From: Jennifer Baker <jbaker93711@yahoo.com>
Date: Saturday, January 17, 2004 11:57 pm
Subject: Re: library as entertainment center for young children

> hmmmm. well josh while i completely agree with you as
> far as how annoying this trend can be i have to take
> issue with a couple things you say.
>
> first that you are in the profession to promote your
> own values--again, in this context i think i can
> understand what your saying but i think it's also
> important to be careful here. if this same sentiment
> extends to your selection of books or the types of
> programs you offer you can be getting into dangerous
> waters.
>
> also, what about all the *adults* that just sit in the
> library and play games or chat or surf ebay all day?
> does age make a difference as to what type of service
> we should be providing? maybe. some libraries think so
> but i'm not so sure.
>
> unfortunately with regard to having public access
> computers i think it is a bridge that was crossed and
> then burned a long time ago...we can't go back now. i
> too would rather see the kids reading books and
> computers reserved for homework/research, but it's a
> little late for that now. it would be difficult to
> draw a line between patrons using the computers for
> fun versus business or reference and some people don't
> think we should--we don't do the same thing for books.
>
>
> also, the public library is for a lot of people the
> only access they have to computers. but then again,
> lots of people don't have cable tv and we don't have
> free hbo here. and public access computers eat up *a
> lot* of our valuable resources in staff & capital.
>
> i think ideally the proper place for computer access
> when it is just for fun is in a recreation center and
> some cities are seeing this now and setting up rec
> center computer rooms. but for many of us, like i said
> we already crossed that bridge and to pull the
> computers out now or start trying to make rules as to
> what does & doesn't qualify as legitimate library use
> would be difficult if not impossible.
>
> ~j.
> --- Josh lachman <jlachman@ci.berkeley.ca.us> wrote:
> > The comment below makes me ask this question:  What
> > are the role that computers should play in a
> > children's library?
> > Libraries embraced computers because they allowed us
> > better access to books.  Remember the "dumb"
> > terminals that first allowed keyword searching?
> >
> >  Then the Internet came along with infinite amounts
> > of information.  But it also allowed strictly
> > entertaining activities and recreational
> > communication (chat rooms and email).
> >
> > Now children's rooms have computers with Internet
> > and games (many got started thanks to Bill Gates and
> > his grants of Gates Machines).  But how many
> > children's  libraries set up a collection
> > development policy and mission statement for
> > computer usage and software?  It seems like Bill
> > Gates did it for most of us!
> >
> > I am throwing this out there, hoping it generates a
> > good discussion.  I'm not thrilled to see two, three
> > and four year olds in front of a computer screen.
> > Of course it is really the parents decision, but I
> > am in this career to promote activities that are in
> > harmony with my own values.  For instance, I
> > wouldn't feel happy being in a business selling
> > sugar laden baby food (if there is such a thing
> > anymore) or other nutritionally undesirable child
> > oriented food products.  Even though I could justify
> > it by saying it is up to the parents whether their
> > kid could eat it or not.
> >
> > In case you're wondering, our library has time limts
> > on computers (though sometimes loosely enforced).
> > Kids can have 30 minutes at the computer and if
> > nobody is waiting, they can stay on for an hour.
> > Sometimes they end up on for a little longer.
> >
> > Libraries have evolved over the years from strictly
> > depositories of knowledge to having more services
> > within a community.  So we must have programming and
> > I think that is usually a good thing.  Especially
> > when it has some relationship to books.   I also
> > think that computers for children have a place in
> > the library.  Especially children who are old enough
> > to be in the library by themselves.  But I'm really
> > questioning the value of having all the computer
> > games for young children.  Some parents like it
> > because the limited amount of time their child uses
> > a computer is just during their weekly library
> > visit.  But I've also heard of  non-computer
> > families avoiding the library because it turns into
> > a hassle when they arrive.  The kids beg for the
> > computer and the parent has to keep saying, "no."
> > So those are the families (probably a very small
> > number) who we aren't seeing.
> >
> > I think the library is an opportunity for families
> > to have some quality time together and computers can
> > be a powerful distraction from that.  Unless you
> > consider a parent and child, sitting side by side,
> > staring at a screen together to be quality time.
> >
> > When children leave our weekly preschool storytime,
> > some of them immediately get on to computers.  I
> > have no idea what that 20-30 minutes of computer
> > usage  is doing to their brains, eyes and
> > development.  But I know that if the games weren't
> > on the computers those kids would probably be
> > looking at books at that time.  And that seems to be
> > a lot better choice.
> >
> > Josh Lachman
> >
> > >>> Christina Johnson 01/15/04 06:24PM >>>
> > I have a slightly similar personal problem with all
> > of the programming we
> > are expected to do.  When did the library become the
> > entertainment center
> > for its community?
> > We do many things to make our circulation look
> > higher than it would be
> > otherwise.
> > Our children's programs are well attended and I
> > enjoy doing most of them,
> > I'm just wondering how this all got started.
> > --Frustrated with my job at the moment, can you
> > tell?
> >
>
>
> =====
> ~jenniferbaker
> fresno co. public library
>
> "I may not be an explorer or an adventurer or a treasure seeker or
> a gun
> fighter Mr. O' Connell, but I am proud of what I am." "And what is
> that?" "I
> am a librarian!"
> ~ Evelyn, The Mummy
>
>

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End of PUBYAC Digest 1320
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