Forbes Article on the Value of Librarians!

There's an outstanding article on Forbes.com that each of you should read right away! It's called "Young Learners Need Librarians, Not Just Google" and it makes a strong case for the importance of school librarians, in particular, and librarians in general. When you're trying to convince others that libraries are still valuable in the age of the Internet, point them to this article. Coming from a respected source like Forbes, it's a powerful tool!

Every word is worth reading, and here are some quotes to convince you:

To use the Internet as a library you need new research skills: the ability to pick out reliable sources from an overwhelming heap of misinformation, to find relevant material amid an infinite array of options, to navigate the shifting ethics of creative commons and intellectual property rights and to present conclusions in a manner that engages modern audiences.

And here's one about why kids can't just roam the Internet without expert guidance:

In addition to learning how to phrase a search query, students need to learn how to protect themselves online, and how to share their work through wikis, videos, and other interactive media. Without a dedicated guide, they end up, in the words of professor Henry Jenkins, as "feral children of the Internet raised by the Web 2.0 wolves.

Library advocates, put this in your arsenal and use it right away!