Access is Key!

While reading Reidling a statement from page 22 just jumped out at me because it is so obvious in its simplicity. "Of primary importance is ease of access to reference materials by the school library media specialist and the student population." What a simple statement but what a powerful one. This makes me think about the students at my school. Do they easy access to reference materials? Sadly, I really don't think they do. Tied to the issue of access are the informational skills which allow them to know first what they need to access, what kind of questions to ask and what kind of materials to look for. If they are taught these skills then they are ready to proceed. Or are they? Is there ease? Any one who has done research has experienced frustration and then joy as they find something of value to their search. Any search has obstacles however some school library resource centers have more than the usual regular obstacles. Accessiblity to using the library before, after, or during school hours is a barrier to students at my school. Also access to assistance is another barrier as there is only a small window of time that the library is staffed. Coordinating student needs and the TL's schedule would take some major juggling. Possible but not "easy". Another access issue is the one regarding access to the internet. The 2 computers in the library do not have internet access and the lab is only available to students during their specific blocks of time during class time. The final access issue is availability of resources. Few district site licenses, no centralized district catalogue system for sharing resources, outdated and small print reference section limit access. Additionally no access to newspapers, limited access to periodicals, and few non-print resources such as DVD's or CD roms make access to material somewhat difficult. Access is key however not so simple to really acheive unfortunately!