You could say that it’s not a “real” library any more. Or you could say that the smell, look and feel of real books cannot be replaced by e-readers. But the administrators of Cushing Academy, a prep school near Boston, have done exactly that.
Instead of the 20,000 books the school currently has, the students of Cushing Academy will have 18 e-readers at their disposal. The learning centre – the replacement for what was once the school’s library – will also have three large TVs, a coffee shop, and laptop-friendly booths.
The cost of this makeover will be nearly $500,000, but the folks at Cushing think it’ll be worth it. “Instead of a traditional library with 20,000 books, we’re building a virtual library where students will have access to millions of books,’’ says James Tracy, headmaster of Cushing.
He also has an interesting view on books in general. “When I look at books, I see an outdated technology, like scrolls before books (…) This isn’t ‘Fahrenheit 451’. We’re not discouraging students from reading. We see this as a natural way to shape emerging trends and optimize technology.’’
Eighteen e-readers seems a bit low for any school, let alone one that had needs for such a large library. Still, Tracy may be on the right track here; no matter how much you like books, handing each of your students a Kindle might simply prove to be more practical than having a library. What do you think? Are books obsolete, and will the students of Cushing Academy suffer or benefit from this change? Let us know in the comments.
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