NapaNews.com | As research moves online, pity the poor encyclopedia
“With so much free online information, including proprietary databases for which libraries pay for the public’s use, families like Amy Sahn’s say encyclopedias seem unnecessary.
Her oldest of two sons, Zach, 10, will soon have more complicated school assignments, but the Redwood City mother thinks the Internet will suffice.
“The kids are so computer literate,” Sahn said, “that it would seem almost foreign to them to use a book.””
Well, I am compute literate too, but that only makes me better understand how much information on the Internet is suspect and should be used with care. Sadly, I don’t think that children or teens understand any of that, unless they encounter a teacher, librarian, or parent who can explain it to them. Most of the teachers in our community require kids to use at least one print resource in their reports. That’s why we continue to purchase new encyclopedias.