SREB

September 1997

Jennifer Burke

Southern
Regional
Education
Board

592 10th Street
Atlanta, GA 30318
404-875-9211
www.sreb.org

An SREB- Publication

Myths About Electronic Learning Resources:

Addressing Some Commonly Held Misconceptions Related to Access and Use of Electronic Information

Everything on the Internet is free. What a deal – all those sources of information right at your fingertips costing absolutely nothing. Right?

The truth is that while much information on the Internet is free, using many of the resources from respected publishers and organizations requires a paid subscription. The hidden costs in using the Internet need to be considered before plugging in, especially for school systems. There are a number of widely accepted "myths" about the use and capabilities of the Internet. Some include:

Myth: Information about everything is on the Internet.

Fact: Daily, more information is posted on the Internet, making it increasingly important for research. However, there is no way for most users to verify the accuracy of that information. Much available information is general in nature and is not always presented in an organized way. Inaccurate or biased information can be published and accepted as fact on the Internet. William Miller, current president of the Association of College and Research Libraries, estimates that only about 2 percent of research materials is available online, and that of the 100,000 most common journals, only 4,000 are available online. 

Myth: All information on the Internet is free.

Fact: The costs of access to information on the Internet are often hidden. One of the most common purposes stated for providing access to the Internet by K-12 schools is to reduce economic disparities within states by providing all schools with equitable access to learning resources and materials. Since using the Internet involves costs for equipment, wiring, subscriptions, software, and staff, providing access for all students will be costly -- certainly not free.

Many library professionals believe that increasing electronic access to information will actually increase costs. Current electronic libraries are generally proprietary establishments that can only be accessed with a paid subscription. Although information is available online from respected publishers and organizations, access to more of that information now requires a paid subscription to the necessary research databases. Libraries often must weigh choices between buying books or subscribing to databases, and sometimes cancel print journal subscriptions in order to have funds available for purchasing electronic materials. 

Myth: The Internet will replace physical libraries with "digital libraries."

Fact: Physical space requirements to meet client needs will not decline as a result of the movement to electronic access to information. Even libraries that are making their collections more electronically available to the public are only able to convert limited quantities at a time to electronic media due to staffing, equipment and time constraints. It is likely that most books in libraries currently will never be digitized. Neither libraries nor publishers can justify the cost of conversion for most material. Online public access catalogs and other reference databases at universities and other libraries generally provide information to enable users to locate printed materials. The quantity of materials available electronically in "full-text" format, while growing, remains small.  

Libraries also maintain collections of historic materials that are valuable for research, while electronic resources still tend to focus on current materials. Although some older materials are available from some publishers of electronic media, some items are necessarily "dropped off" the "old" end of even large database sets because of system limits on size. Archival materials will still have to be physically located at some site where they can be used for research.  

Libraries are learning environments. Research still includes sources discovered by browsing shelves – not unlike "surfing the Web." Print information is not likely to disappear in the foreseeable future, and certain collections, as in the humanities, do not lend themselves to storage in a computer-accessible format. Libraries are not only storage facilities for materials, they are also centers for locating and accessing information. All libraries, not just research libraries, play a major role in supporting learners at every level. 

Even though digital format materials, such as CD-ROMs, take up relatively little space, the equipment necessary to use those materials still requires floor space. Shelving is being replaced by workstations, CD-ROM "jukeboxes" and printers.

Myth: Fewer staff will be required in libraries, since information is widely available online.

Fact: Accessing electronic materials requires a particular set of skills, and most staff already working in libraries or currently in training have the needed skills. As more libraries set up workstations for patron use, more staff time will be required to instruct users in system use and search methods in addition to more traditional functions. Professional staff will still be required for collection development, regardless of the format of the materials acquired. Technical personnel will be required to maintain networks, communications, and equipment, in addition to creating and maintaining World Wide Web-accessible materials. These staff are expensive. Initial training and ongoing professional development are other costs vital to effective use of equipment and resources. 

Myth: Technology equipment requires a one-time capital expense.

Fact: Technology is changing so rapidly that in only a short time, materials now available in "state of the art" electronic formats may not even be usable on new generations of computer equipment. Reference materials and equipment will quickly become obsolete due to rapidly changing technologies. For example, several years ago it was common to find older periodicals on microfiche or microfilm. Now, back issues are often published on CD-ROM, which requires readers to use different equipment. At the K-12 level, most schools do not have sufficient telephone lines and electric wiring to support today’s computers, communications and online databases. Wiring, computers and networking equipment must be upgraded as technologies change. Maintaining adequate technology represents high costs and will require a steady funding stream. Once a system is set up, it cannot be left unimproved, nor can it be "shut off."

Myth: We won’t need to buy software, since we can download everything we need from the Internet.

Fact: The Internet contains a vast wealth of computer programs that can be freely used and copied. Other software is available at a nominal price. Many major software companies place demonstration versions of their software, particularly new releases, on the Internet so that potential customers can try them out. However, free software available from the Internet may not have all the features users need. Programs may not quite be complete. Documentation and upgrades are only available to registered purchasers. Even widely used programs that are available free to educational users, such as Netscape, do not include technical support or manuals and documentation that consumers receive when they buy the software commercially. Educational software for K-12 use is still produced in CD-ROM format. If and when this type of software is made available on the Internet, it will not be free since producers need to recoup sizable production costs as well as generate profits.

Myth: Anything available online can be used and copied freely without concern about copyright or ownership.

Fact: States and institutions need to be concerned with specific issues regarding copyright, ownership and intellectual property rights in the rapidly expanding realm of electronic publishing. Software companies, for example, are vigilant in protection of their programs, frequently filing lawsuits addressing copyright infringement. Also, articles and papers posted online often carry a copyright protection notice. As use of online resources increases, it is becoming more common to request permission from the owner prior to using a reference from a an Internet site. It would be too easy for school leaders and others to inadvertently violate copyright law if they are unaware of existing legal restrictions.

A number of legally unresolved issues remain, including:

• Who owns the copyright to materials published electronically? What if the materials are published in both digital and hard-copy formats?
• How does the author protect his interests when dealing with publishers? Does the publisher have the right to place materials on the Web? Does the author have this right?
• When electronic materials are produced using public resources, as at a public university, the state has an interest in the ownership of those materials. Can the rights to electronic materials produced with public money (as at a public university) be sold to publishers, rather than given away?  

There have not yet been court cases tried that would settle some of these concerns. Several diverse national and international organizations are attempting to come to consensus about ways to address copyright issues so that they do not have to be settled in a court of law. 

Conclusion

Members of the media daily discuss the use of the Internet by students and consumers. Sometimes articles describe "digital libraries" in glowing terms, imagining a future in which all information is instantly available free to everyone. Other articles inflame paranoia with references to "Big Brother" and government surveillance of Internet use. Still others rant about Internet pornography and child endangerment. In reality, there are many complex issues to be resolved. Use of the Internet can provide access to a wide range of useful information and materials, but parents, teachers and policy makers need to be informed of the limitations inherent in this resource. 

The Southern Regional Education Board is a partner in the SouthEast and Islands Regional Technology in Education Consortium, one of six U.S. Department of Education regional technology consortia. SEIR*TEC promotes the use of technology to improve teaching and learning, with emphasis on benefiting traditionally underserved populations.
This document is based on research supported in part by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under CFDA 84.302A, grant number R302A50010. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the views of OERI, the U.S. Department of Education or any other agency of the U.S. government.