...and my students have an opinion about tech and libraries
Yesterday, we had an impromptu conversation about this whole chatbot/ AI/ closing of libraries situation. The students in this conversation were not the ones you'd expect to have a solid opinion about this: they are not necessarily college-bound, and they are the ones who usually duck writing and reading assignments. That said, it was a lively and interesting discussion, one that surprised me (and gave me a little hope as well).
None of them thought depending on AI to "write" papers was a good idea, and they were convinced that there is no way that AI can replicate human inquiry or thought. They also were quite adamant that the AI chatbots were not going to be able (at least at this juncture) to screen out false information, so the papers were going to be filled with mistakes. So I chimed in with the report that Google's new Bard bot did, in fact, make a really obvious mistake in their first public foray, and it has cost the company 100 BILLION dollars in market value. Wow. Tanked stocks and everything--- all over a simple error in their major new advertising, one that, they could have simply fact-checked for. In short, proofread.
They went on to say that depending entirely on the internet and on digital library holdings is not something they want; one student talked about how physical libraries made things more fair, that access to information and research should not be an issue of privilege. I found myself nodding along; I had not even thought of that, but there we are. Kids who live in the real world know what the hurdles look like, and the people who are streamlining access have not asked for their input.
Libraries are essential to a community's survival; they are much more than just repositories for books. Students who can't afford a required textbook can often find a loaner copy in the physical library. Current academic journals often have paywalls for articles; physical copies of those journals are critical to success for many students who are just struggling to pay their way through school. Eat or get a source article should not be a discussion.
There is also the quiet, the collegiality, the necessary respite that a physical library offers. Space to think, to work, to collaborate is so important to learning and building relationships.
The over-reliance on technology in the world of academics is troubling, and the destruction of community resources is a sad and dangerous trend. While the internet can connect people to information all over the world, it only serves to create even more distance in the physical world.
Take care,
C
I was a Trustee for our local library for 10 years. Until that experience I had no real idea of what a lifeline it is, especially in an economically challenged area like mine. Seniors looking for help with technology, job seekers getting help with resumes, students being tutored, and just a safe place to gather to do work, read quietly, or even socialize. It wasn't always easy (it rarely was), and while I'm somewhat relieved that my two terms are finished, I am proud of the work I had a hand in. I just hope the parsimonious local governments that fund it realize what a gem they have and fund it the way it should be funded.
ReplyDeleteAnd here we are, with the powers that be (stupid) turning all the VSC libraries into digital-only spaces. Shuttering college libraries, or making them "usable space" (like they weren't being used?)-- my heart is heavy.
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