I wish I could upvote you a thousand times. Even if something is online that is the result of careful curation by somebody trained in this. It should not be devalued. If everybody shutters the library best believe online resources suffer terribly.

I love my local libraries, and I completely agree

Worst take. Libraries are a part of preserving culture and civilization. Books are precious, knowledge is precious. Never minimize the library.

Teach the students and help build the code and AI that maintains the library. I know a few of those have relationships with google where a few friends have gone to work right out of college.

Edit to clarify: Everyone on that list is involved with research projects in some form, teaches in some form, or involved with another association or company.

So what do all these librarians do then?

https://library.northeastern.edu/administration/library-staff-directory/

I'm a librarian who lives in Randolph and this is a garbage decision that I very much suspect is not evidence-based despite what they claim to be saying about it. In addition to signing above, there's also a change.org petition. https://chng.it/fdfKddXm

I snagged an ounce of some really decent stuff for $165/$195 after tax from winooski organics last week. There’s deals out there to be found

“What are you doing with your hands?”

Over your time in higher Ed, do you see a trend of students who grew up with the internet being more intuitive at operating it as opposed to those who learned it later in life? For example if I didn’t know how to use an online library, I wouldn’t ask a person for help, I’d google how to use an online library, find a YouTube video or website explaining the general search process and what the terms mean, then I’d use an online library.

Anecdotally… unless you have somehow discovered an antidote to Covid in which case share your genius with the world please! 🦠

I disagree that people like that should be blasted into the sun, but I agree that that is not why covid is still around.

Does “unlimited user textbook” mean that an unlimited # of people can have the book at the same time?

>no college student needs help researching information online.

As somebody who worked over a decade in higher ed and now works in a high school, I can assure you you're wrong here.

That’s very true actually. Don’t think you could do it with good faith arguments

We’re a top 50 school nationally lmao

US News page on Northeastern University

Is your school even accredited?

I didn't know COVID had an antidote but I'll have to visit northern and central Vermont and acquire it.

Our university was digitized by students on work study, and is maintained by students, computer code, and some AI as of recently. Larger databases like the BPL and library of Congress are maintained with professionals using taxpayer funds and are free to access for all.

As for the music and DVD’s, it’s streaming services or pirating, anything you’re interested in is available on your smartphone or laptop.

Thank you, those are hilarious!

You're friend's doctor's info is a little out of date.

The January 17th data showed a big spike in waste water data

https://vtdigger.org/2023/01/24/burlington-reports-record-high-covid-concentrations-in-wastewater-data/

but by January 23rd it was back to..."normal" I guess.

https://vtdigger.org/2023/02/01/vermonts-overall-covid-levels-remain-low-as-burlington-wastewater-data-returns-to-normal/

Case numbers, hospitalizations and deaths are all significantly below what they were this time last year or the year before.

They aren’t closing the spaces, they’re “eliminating all physical resources in the university’s libraries and transitioning to a digital-only library,” and redistributing “books, collections and other materials” per VTdigger. The spaces still exist, so will the internet connection inside of them.

Online research classes is a very important part of a high school curriculum, but no college student needs help researching information online.

I think there's a specific reason VT is "the only state that's trying" related to the amount of funding per capita but I don't disagree.

Ours are done by students on work study, computer code, and recently some AI

Not doubting that in any way, but I’m not sure how that makes any difference? I mean those documents came from somewhere? Someone has to archive and upload them, correct? Some institutions have rare or unique documents or texts, where do they go? Maintaining and staffing a library is not anywhere close to a major line item at most colleges and universities. Hell, the small town I went to school in, half the town used the college library for books, music, and DVDs as it was ten times better than anything in the county.

Signed