Bookless Library Doing Just Fine

May 28th, 2010 Posted in Digitization, Electronic Publishing, Other News

In September, DCLnews reported on Cushing Academy, the Massachusetts school that was working to eliminate all (print) books from its library. Nearly nine months later, the library has reduced its print collection from 20,000 to 8,000 books, replacing the tangible titles with digital versions. (A mere 1,000 print books is the final goal once the transition is completed at the end of summer 2010.)

Headmaster James Tracy says that so far, the move to digital is working; since the school’s library began the transition, it has been able to use the money saved to increase library staff — and the emphasis on digital media seems to be well-received by students and faculty as well. Tracy told The Boston Globe that, thanks to the change, the school’s library has “become the hub where students and faculty gather, learn, and explore together,” and has allowed the school to adapt its teaching of library science to the digital age. “We’re able to actually teach students in preparation for college: Don’t just Google somebody, but rather go to a database that has peer-reviewed journals, and make sure you’re using the best sources available.”

Read the full article from The Boston Globe »