Area school libraries -- known for their book collections -- seem to be thriving in the digital age, as educators say online resources allow them to work more closely with teachers and their classroom instruction.

"Even though we are in a technological age, reading and libraries are indispensable," said Sego Middle School media specialist Faye Smith.

Sego Middle received a $93,592 state grant this year. The Competitive Title II grant, Teachers, Teamwork and Technology, will give the media center and five classrooms the latest technology, including laptops, iPods, multimedia projectors and interactive white boards, Ms. Smith said.

"The media center should be involved, if we're going to be talking about (adequate yearly progress) in the instructional program," she said.

Ms. Smith and fellow Sego Middle media specialist Frankie Johnson have weekly collaborative meetings with language arts and social studies teachers and with math and science teachers.

"The gap has definitely been bridged between the media center and the classrooms. We are definitely one entity," said Annie Kaigler, a Stallings Island Middle School media specialist.

Ms. Smith and Ms. Johnson say media centers started using computers in the mid-1990s. The two, who have shared duties at Sego Middle for four years, said the introduction of computers has been the biggest change in their profession since they started their careers in 1969.

They said technology has enabled them to interact more with pupils.

"Kids come to us with the background of technology, and that relieves us as media specialists," Ms. Johnson said. "Most of them have a very good background in technology."

Nevertheless, Ms. Kaigler said, media specialists can help pupils find good research tools and identify credible Web sites.

She said the school system subscribes to Nettrekker, a database that includes thousands of Web sites. A credible Internet source includes an author, a copyright and unbiased information that does not promote one view over another, Ms. Kaigler said.

Technology also has created the need for more positions.

James Van Meter, the Columbia County school system's director of technology, said each school has a technology support specialist, and the system has five instructional technology specialists who show teachers how to use the latest technology.

Ms. Kaigler said teacher training is one of the duties of the media specialist.

"If you put new technology in a classroom with teachers and don't show them how to use it, they're not going to use it," she said.

Carol Taylor, Richmond County schools' director of educational media and technology, said the school system has about 10 technicians, including one who works strictly with media specialists. But according to state guidelines, a school system the size of Richmond County should have about 30 technicians, she said.

"Because we're so short-staffed, we have to ask some of the media specialists to do some of the troubleshooting for us," Ms. Taylor said.