Libraries as we know them are an endangered species. With the advent of all gadgets electronic, they are an expensive space to maintain. Methinks in the future, if you want to read a book (paper version) you will have to go to the museum.
I am of conflicted opinions. I deeply feel that libraries as we have known them must be preserved. I love books. I like to hold a book while I read. There is something aesthetic to having a book at your fingertips. Children learning to read do better with multi-sensory approach, including holding a book and pointing to words as they go.
Then again, I love the concept of the e-readers like Kindle, Nook, and yes, even the iPad. The idea that I can carry my entire library electronically on a handheld device is beyond awesome. Having virtual libraries in schools is a great idea. It saves space, time, and money in the long run.
In the future, as in the past, owning books will be a sign of wealth. Currently, paperbacks are cheap. Hardbacks are not so cheap, but still affordable. However, with all the ‘green’ery going on, I would be surprised if printed books did not become collectors’ items and a relic of the past. Our society is well on its way already to becoming paperless. Why not include the school library?
blech.
Reality imitating fiction... Star Trek here we come.
Kindel-esque tools will become the students’ “backpacks.”