ERIC Number: EJ1143977
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 8
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1094-9046
EISSN: N/A
E-Books in Public School Libraries: Are We There Yet?
Rothman, Allison
Knowledge Quest, v45 n5 p30-37 May-Jun 2017
Demands for school technology innovations, implementation of 1:1 device models, and increased interest in digital media highlight complicated issues such as funding, equity, and decision making for e-book collection development and programming in school libraries. School librarians considering purchase of e-books for school libraries still cannot follow a clear or consistent track through this uncertain e-book terrain. With multiple purchasing, delivery, and device options, school libraries can choose to partner with public libraries, purchase e-books from varied providers, or intentionally select the option of waiting until e-book use becomes more straightforward. This article addresses the author's experience with an e-book action research study designed to illuminate her school library e-book decisions within a manageable and affordable pilot program. Over the course of one school year, this study explored public middle school book club students' use of public library and open source e-books for pleasure reading on Kindle e-readers. All participants were interviewed at the beginning of the experience to ask about digital reading experiences, public library use, and book preferences. During this study, book club students overwhelmingly preferred obtaining e-content through the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) OverDrive portal versus Project Gutenberg's open source collection. Students found the wireless download system more manageable than downloading books to PCs and transferring e-books to the Kindle via USB cables. Based on the study's findings, the author offers suggestions for e-book implementation in non-1:1 environments while at the same time reflecting on newly realized iPads-for-all world.
Descriptors: Electronic Publishing, School Libraries, Public Schools, Educational Technology, Technology Uses in Education, Middle School Students, Interviews, Student Attitudes, Clubs, Handheld Devices
American Association of School Librarians. Available from: American Library Association. 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611. Tel: 1-800-545-2433; Web site: http://knowledgequest.aasl.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Junior High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A