Sometimes, the Answer is No

I have two books that students have been requesting lately -- Twilight and A Child Named It. Usually, when I get a title that is frequently requested, I add that title to my purchasing list. It really helps students have ownership in their LMC if they also have some input into what is purchased for it. In the case of these two books, however, my answer has been, "No, I don't have that title. You will have to either get it from the public library or wait until middle school to check that out."

I worry about that answer. The rebel reader part of me remembers sneaking into the Junior Fiction section of the public library because I was tired of the books in the Children's Room, and so I tend to buy series that are popular and not pay a lot of attention to the recommended age groups. The manager of public funds part of me, however, is very aware of my responsibility to the taxpayers (i.e. parents) that entrust the selection of the books to me. It is my job to get kids interested in reading, but does that mean reading anything? I do have to consider literary quality and appropriate language and topics when I select materials, and I do have to work with a limited amount of funds.

This is a dilemma that I think all school librarians face. I do my best to be as liberal as I possibly can, but I cannot simply buy anything and everything. Am I being a censor by not purchasing these? I don't think so. I have read them both and would recommend them to students who are middle school or older. If parents get them for their younger students, I have no issue with that, so I am not (I think) trying to promote my personal beliefs. As much as it goes against my nature, sometimes, I guess, the answer to a request is, "No."

Judging Web Pages Part Two

Okay, so once we realize that everything on the Internet isn't true, how do we decide if a web site can be trusted or not? This is one of those times when what we learned using books can transfer to working with the Internet.

1. Look for a copyright date. These are usually found on the bottom of the web page and may include a date when the page was last updated. This can help determine how current the information is on the page.


2. Learn about the author. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and see if there is an author listed. This could be an individual person, or it could be an organization. Don't just stop with the name! If there is a link to more information about the person or the group, follow it. Are they really experts, or is this just someone's personal opinion disguised as fact?


3. Where is this page created and stored? This information is easy to find in a book, but it is not so easy on a web page. Start with the URL, or address, of the web page. Look for words that might indicate where this page is from (uk for United Kingdom, for example). Read the small print at the bottom of the page, too.


4. What is the purpose of this site? Each address also has a domain, which is usually a 3 letter abbreviation after a period (think .com, .org, or .edu). These domains are clues about the purpose; .com, for example, is a commercial enterprise, or a business site. It exists to make money. There is no hard and fast rule for which ones are more trustworthy; a business site is not always bad and an education site is not always good.


5. How accessible is the information? In a book, students look for indexes, headings, captions, tables, graphs...anything that makes the information easy to find. The same strategies can apply to a web site. Are there clear headings to help you pick out the information needed? Are there links to each section so you don't have to scroll through multiple pages? Organization can make all the difference when trying to find information.

Many students think that the Internet exists to share information, but this is only one of its uses. Mostly, the Internet exists for communication, business, and entertainment. Some of the best information on the Internet is actually hidden in private databases...but that is a topic for another day! Just remember, you can't trust everything you read, especially if you found it on the Internet.

I Found It On The Internet So It Must Be True!

Students these days are addicted to the Internet. They want answers to their questions now, and they want them to be provided easily and quickly. Many have fallen into the trap of thinking that the Internet is all about sharing information, but that is really only a small portion of what happens on the Internet.

I have to admit, I am fascinated by the online world, too; but let's face it, there is a lot of useless junk on the Internet. Some of it is even disguised as information. Even worse, from a research point of view, is the fact that no one is monitoring the quality of the information posted online. If you are not a discriminating reader, this can cause problems when doing research. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to teach our students how to look at a web site with a critical eye and decide for themselves whether they can trust what is being presented.