that very thing. “Until recently, the library was an
oasis of bookish tranquility where peo- ple searched through shelves of neatly arranged volumes or sat in carrels and read quietly,” Carr writes. “Today’s library is very different. Internet access has rap- idly become its most popular service. “The
predominant sound in the
library is the tapping of keys, not the turning of pages.” According to a recent study by the
American Library Association, 99 percent of U.S. public library branches provide Internet access. More than three-quarters of branches also offer Wi-Fi network, and the average branch has 11 public comput- ers.
Today’s media specialist is more likely
to use an iPad than a card catalogue, and that image has filtered down to public school libraries as well. Whether they’re called librarians or
media specialists, both remain the gate- keepers of information to those seeking
wisdom in their school’s library, only the sources of that information has evolved and grown to include every nook and cranny across the far reaches of the World Wide Web. This is the digital generation. Children expect — if not deserve — to have that reality extended into every facet of their lives, especially their schools. “They are hard-wired from birth,”
Screws says with a knowing laugh. “I don’t know if it’s environment, evolution, whatever, but they just seem to know.” Students at Midland Middle School
have access to their library 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thanks to links to vari- ous websites and the use of eBooks and eMagazines. “There’s no excuse not to read or
research,” says Midland Middle School media specialist Debra Taylor. “It opens so many possibilities for them, and it’s exciting because they are able to see all the different formats. It’s a good time to be a young reader.” It’s not necessarily a good time to be a
media specialist, however, if only because the stream of new technology can be expensive for budget-strapped school systems, including those in Muscogee County. Taylor, who just finished her first year
at Midland Middle, came from the Mari- etta City Schools system, which had Title 1 funding that supplied children with iPods and iPads in the classroom. “Having money helps,” Taylor says.
“Being blessed by Title 1 can make a huge impact. But even without that, school libraries have to keep up with the increas- ing technology needs of the students.” Taylor describes her students as very
media savvy — “more than you’d think” — but for all the benefits of having such an understanding of new technological advancements, the flipside is that these same students must be closely monitored so they don’t stumble across inappropri- ate content, which also litters the Internet. “We have to be prepared,” Taylor says. “If we’re going to change the traditional
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