Library Exposure from the Prior Years: An Examination of Public High School Library Websites

The frequent occurrence of first-year college students showing disinterest and unfamiliarity with basic library resources is a phenomenon experienced by many academic librarians. This article aims to increase understanding of student exposure to the school library, prior to college arrival, by examining the online information and tools from high school libraries. Four hundred ninety-seven (497) public high schools from New York City were surveyed for 1) online presence of their school library programs and 2) the extent of information featured on these school library websites. Findings indicate that many public high schools have not adequately embraced web development for the purpose of educating students about information literacy.