Mouth That Roars

Bill Liblick has made a name for himself of National TV Talk Shows where he spouted his outspoken views from the front row. Now he offers you his opinion every week in the "MOUTH THAT ROARS" Column in the Sullivan County Post.

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July 17th, 2018

Sullivan County Community College Must Keep Full Time Librarian

By definition – A librarian is a person who works professionally in a library, providing access to information and sometimes social or technical programming. In addition, librarians provide instruction on information literacy.   

Librarians are especially important in schools, colleges and in areas of poverty. They provide a service that often goes unnoticed and is unappreciated.

Sadly – Sullivan County Community College no longer sees the need for a fulltime librarian and wants to move into the modern computer age in providing their students with information. This move is wrong and must be stopped.

The College Board meets on Thursday July 19th and board members must continue providing its students with a full time librarian.

The library is presently closed and the college plans to move offices into the library space.  The college administration claims that “Library staffing will transform to support the digital habits of our students. There will be a browsing curated collection in a One Stop Center.”

It is understood that there will be a textbook collection for student use, but they will not have the assistance of a librarian.

Community advocate Priscilla Bassett part of a movement to stop SCCC from axing their librarian said, “Libraries and their staff members have a primary role in enabling students to navigate the Internet as a primary source of information: they need support in evaluating accuracy and recognizing bias.  At a community college as in any educational institution you must educate not just for a degree but for lifetime learning, preparation for the role of lifetime citizenship, enriching diversity not necessarily found in the curriculum.”

Bassett added, “The need for a library with a qualified staff and dedicated budget is especially important for students whose educational backgrounds contain lack of access to libraries: in our country caused by segregation, by separate and unequal facilities – an egregious part of our heritage and for immigrant students of color an absence of services in many countries. I believe the absence of the library as a physical space is a matter of concern. Modern libraries are not obsolete but have a distinct and growing importance for all students.”

It is shocking that SCCC does not understand the need to maintain a full-time librarian for the access of students.

I suggest that that the SCCC Board google the need for a school to have a Librarian and they will learn that “The school library provides information and ideas that are fundamental to functioning successfully in today’s information and knowledge-based society. The school library equips students with lifelong learning skills and develops the imagination, enabling them to live as responsible citizens.”

The SCCC Board must immediately reconsider its moves and instead expand the schools resources to help educate our students.

We need more Librarians and not a movement eliminate them.

Wake up SCCC – This is not McDonald’s – A Librarian cannot be replaced by a kiosk!

Poor Marian the Librarian –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N9C2JS9mWc

 

Bill Liblick has made a name for himself on National TV Talk Shows where he spouted his outspoken views from the front row. Now he offers you his opinion every week in the “MOUTH THAT ROARS” Column in THE SULLIVAN COUNTY POST.

 

3 comments to Sullivan County Community College Must Keep Full Time Librarian

  • Steve Gastwirth

    I’m sure there aren’t any brick and mortar colleges or universities that operate without a well funded and staffed library to help students navigate the research and information process. Maybe the next cost saving step can be to stop HVAC , plumbing and electrical service. Let’s just let the students be individually responsible for those needs. Why not stop caring for the grounds and eventually no one will ever know an institution of higher learning exists, money saved problem solved!

  • Librarians are important. Not everybody is there for the computer and the librarians also know how to use the research databases.

  • JoAnne Omar

    https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/to-the-board-of-trustees-sccc1#.W0-U6oWoNtI.facebook
    Please sign our petition to save the Sullivan County Community College Library
    Thanks!