Education should be accessible to all. Today’s learners are required to learn content based on the national and state Standards; the Texas Educational and Knowledge Standards (TEKS). Standards were placed as a means to equalize education across states and socioeconomic lines by providing the same content to all students (Sipila, 2016). Another means to equalize education is by providing access to information via the latest technology and on-line resources. Today’s students can interact with the world beyond the classroom through blogs, wikis, free share-ware, apps, social media, informational websites, YouTube and other Web 2.0 tools. This access provides means of learning and developing in areas of personal interest. Access to the internet can help students to broaden their perspectives, access supportive learning, provide a platform for expression, and interact with other students.
Accessibility is important for students to develop skills in literacy proficiency and technology awareness. The ability to read, write, and speak well is one of the main factors of success in today’s global society. Libraries have historically been the place for accessing books, journals, electronic resources, and computer use. It may appear that with Internet access at home, that libraries would be arcane. And for some people it is. However, many students in the public school system access the internet, books, and other supplemental resources at their school library. Libraries are the storerooms for knowledge, but the librarian is the one who manages and organizes it for accessibility to all users including students, teachers, and administrators with resources and materials to improve learning and enhance the educational experience (Garcia-Padilla, 1993). As long as people need information, they will need libraries and librarians to help them obtain and understand it.
Laura Lomas Tomlinson 