Online library up and running in Hot Springs

As technology advances, older familiarities of organization go the way of the Dewy decimal system. So goes the story at the library in Hot Springs Schools.

"We got everything online last week with very few bugs to work out," said school librarian and history teacher Robin Miller, "and despite the expected nightmares from a new system, students and myself are thrilled with the new library."

Hot Springs is one of many Montana schools that have joined a consortium to create a completely online library for students. All junior high and high school students have Google Chromebook computers issued to them through the school, and while many students may not be familiar with the card catalogues in libraries of old, the new online library is geared toward the tech savvy generation – if you can navigate an online store like Amazon, you can navigate the online library.

"Using the library website is ideal for students as well as teachers, since a filter tab on the left of the screen allows a search for specific categories, genres, and reading levels," Miller explained. "The sheer number of books available would take up more room than we would have in our library for physical copies."

Montana Library 2 Go was originally created for municipal libraries, until the library geared toward schools was developed. Students have their own accounts and passwords to access the books and audio books, and can download them to devices to read at school, on the bus or at home.

Miller admits she was resistant to the change at first – like many who are aged past the millennial generation. But she soon found the advantages to reading digitally.

"I like to read by the fire, but there was never enough light, or I didn't want a bunch of lights on," Miller said. "When reading from a screen I can have all the lights off and adjust the size of the text for my eyes." She noted that those who like to read in bed can avoid bothering a spouse with a lit screen by switching the background to black so that the words stand out in white, producing less light. "But for students these days, bringing our library into the digital universe is ideal. It is a medium they are immersed in and understand," she added.

Cost for the program is charged to schools based on population, making the $250 a year membership a steal for the school – which could easily spend that on far fewer hardcover books in a school year. And the list of available books is growing every day. Students can check out three books at a time for two weeks, with an option to renew their checkout if they haven't finished reading it yet.