In viewing the “State of the Libraries 2017” report from the
ALA, it is obvious that the role of today’s libraries is as strong as
ever. Libraries and the media
specialists managing them have been a crucial entity in keeping up with the
changes of the 21st century.
In the recent report findings, the library is seen as having a specific
effect in the following areas:
instruction in initial coursework, student success, collaborative
academic programs and services, and information literacy.
It is hoped that the ESSA or Every Student Succeeds Act will
provide more widespread support for libraries in the recognition that library
personnel play an integral part in the area of instructional support.
The library could very well have been a dying breed with the
onset of sophisticated digital tools including virtual book checkouts and
ebooks; but instead, this collective group turned these changes into
opportunities to better serve students. Unlike
many areas of education which refuse to change a system developed long ago, the
library has embraced the challenge and risen to recognize, enhance, and fulfill the needs of 21st
century learners.
