Academics >Library>Currents Article

PROMOTING EXCELLENCE Technology and the PDS Library (excerpted from the Fall/Winter 2003 edition of the PDS magazine Currents)

Poughkeepsie Day School's library may be small but thanks to technological advances-especially the explosion of information now available via the Internet and purchased databases-it offers students and faculty alike enormous opportunities to tap into a wide variety of outstanding resources that a school of our size cannot, on its own, provide.

Since 2001, the library's print and online offerings have been significantly improved under the leadership of librarian Cassandra Keith. In school libraries, collection development is guided by the curriculum, and the PDS print collection in particular has been undergoing evaluation for its relevance and its currency. Using professional review journals as well as input from classroom teachers, new acquisitions are purchased monthly, and the collection is weeded on an on-going basis. The reference and non-fiction sections serving the middle and upper school curriculums have been a focus in the past two years in order to support initial research. The goal has been to have the PDS library serve as a realistic starting point for research by all students, with the acknowledgement that additional resources may be needed from larger libraries.

Marcy Webb's CS, "Latinos in the United States", made use of the library recently to do some research on several Latino population groups. The students were given a resource guide by the librarian to aid them in locating information in both print and non-print formats. Britannica Online and World Book Online were used to provide background information, and EBSCOhost provided the students with access to full-text periodical articles. As PDS does not have a periodical collection, this database is especially significant. Additionally, Cassie had located two Web sites for U.S. census information, "Race and Hispanic origin, 2000" and "The Hispanic population: census 2000 brief". As our print resources were limited for this topic, the online resources expanded access to relevant information.

In addition, did you know:

• The library has been automated since 2001. The catalog is available on all net-worked computers on campus and is also available online (more on that below). Circulation is also automated. During their library class time at the start of the year, lower school students decorate their library cards, which are then kept on file in the library.
• PDS purchases several online databases each school year through programs subsidized by Dutchess County BOCES School Library System and Southeastern New York Library Resources Council. The databases for the 2003-2004 school year are: Britannica Online; World Book Online; Maps 101; EBSCOhost (periodical articles); Health and Wellness Resource Center; and Web Feet Guides. These databases are available on campus and by remote access using passwords. We also have access to a video-streaming database provided by state funds and our local PBS affiliate, WMHT. Access is by password.
• The library has also developed its own Web page. The page includes remote access to the catalog, Quick Links to the catalogs of area libraries and Web links. The links include a reference section, links to our databases, and subject links for each division to give students a starting point for reviewed Internet sites related to the curriculum.
• Brochures are available in the library with remote access information for all databases. Because these databases are subsidized, PDS is not allowed to post passwords on the Internet. The library also has a folder, updated monthly, listing new acquisitions, which the staff can e-mail to parents on request.