Weekly Reader

Turns Out Most Engaged Library Users are also Biggest Tech Users
"It wouldn’t be a leap to theorize that the expanding role technology plays in American lives would lead to the demise of public libraries. After all, so many other industries, including the one that’s bringing you this article, continue to struggle in the digital age." -- Brigit Shirvell, PBS News Hour: The Rundown, 3/13/14

Are Student's Customers? Let's Hope Not
"To the Editor: David M. Perry’s article on consumer lingo in academe (Faculty Members Are Not Cashiers,” The Chronicle, March 17) is completely correct, but his argument about what is wrong with this lingo misses a key point: it’s not just that people who use this language devalue or misvalue education, but also that they completely misunderstand what a customer is."-- Clara Burke, The Chronicle: Letters, 3/20/14

Faculty Members are not Cashiers
"This month Texas A&M University at Kingsville posted a new job ad for a faculty member in early-modern/Renaissance literature. The first line of the "job summary" reads, in all capital letters: "PROVIDE EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE." A bit lower, the job description mentions that the selected candidate will have to teach four courses a semester while remaining "active in research, professional development, and service to the university and profession." -- David M. Perry, The Chronicle:Advice, 3/17/14

On Why Libraries Still Matter
"The short answer to the question of why libraries still matter is this: Not everything is available on the Internet, especially the free, legal Internet.You won't find most recent books, most magazine and journal articles, or back issues of most newspapers and magazines. Fee-based search services such as LexisNexis (www.lexisnexis.com) can help. Illegal "pirate" sites and BitTorrent services, on the other hand, can get you in trouble and are just plain wrong. Sometimes you need a library, and sometimes you need the services of a librarian." -- Reid Goldsborough, LinkUp Digital, 3/15/14

The Impending IT Headache of the 28 Billion-Thing Internet of Things
"The rapid growth of interconnected devices making up the Internet of Things will wreak havoc on data security, storage, servers, networks and end user privacy, according to a new report.There will be 26 billion "things" making up the Internet of Things within six years, according to a report released by Gartner. The implications for IT are profound — in particular for data center operations." -- David Nagel, Campus Technology, 2/18/14

4 Technologies to Help Students Find Their Voice in Your Classroom
"Students need a voice. By voice, I mean the ability to recognize their own beliefs, practice articulating them in a variety of forms, and then find the confidence -- and the platform -- to express them." -- Terry Heick, Edutopia, 3/11/14