Re "Success beyond the stacks," Column, May 20
Those who think school libraries are obsolete might consider the results of a 2010 Scholastic-Gates Foundation(!*) poll given to 40,000 teachers. One question asked where students get books for their independent reading most often. The winner: school libraries. Teachers reported that 80% of high school students, the group least dependent on school libraries, get reading material from school libraries.
Will e-books take over? To compete with the library as a source of books, e-book readers and e-books need to get cheap enough for everyone to be able to buy, use and replace them. Amazon.com's Kindle costs more than $100 and e-books about $10, and there are restrictions on sharing.
Little wonder that only a small portion of adults, mainly affluent ones, read e-books.
Stephen Krashen
Los Angeles
The writer is a professor emeritus of education at USC.
* smf: They are everywhere!
Thank you for Hector Tobar's columns on librarians and their importance. Those who would do away with school librarians are equivalent to those who say books are obsolete.
Emma Willsey
Huntington Beach
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