Magnet School Not the First to Go High-Tech

The Los Angeles Central Library may have the first magnet school to focus on accessing electronic information (“Magnet School Goes High-Tech,” Sept. 19), but 74 other schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District also have the same capability and on-line public access library catalogues. Another 125 elementary, middle and senior high schools are in the process of having their computerized catalogues installed. Thirteen schools have had computer catalogues and telecommunications since 1988.

At Birmingham High School, students have used the Internet to access the library catalogues at UCLA, Los Angeles Public Library and the Library of Congress; to graph current weather data provided by the University of Michigan, and to send and receive E-mail. Birmingham has its own electronic bulletin board, which is available to students, parents and teachers. Students in the new journalism magnet program, as well as all other Birmingham students, will have opportunities to use the Internet during this school year.

LOIS FELDMAN

Northridge

Feldman teaches library media at Birmingham High School in Van Nuys.