The Old Rochester Regional School Committee approved a new four-part library media curriculum on Wednesday night with the goal of increasing students’ “digital literacy.”

The curriculum will forward work already being done at the junior high and high school to make “library commons” where students can collaborate on work, create digital content and learn to love reading.

Junior high librarian Carol Herrmann said students learn a lot of technology from librarians.

“More and more of our students are creating online content, not just consuming it,” said Herrmann.

She said the assumption that students' recreational online use translates to educational use is wrong.

“Unfortunately, students do not have the same level of skills in the academic and educational use of digital tools as they do in their own recreational and social use,” Herrmann said.

The curriculum is aimed at educating students on those aspects of information and digital literacy as well as teaching students how to responsibly and legally use online content, to work collaboratively with technology, evaluate the information they receive and to enjoy reading.

The last one will look a little different in this digital age, said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Elise Frangos.

“The mainstay is to foster that love of reading but to expand that notion. It’s not only just hard copy text. We need to be able to read critically, all kinds of texts,” she said.

ORR High School Principal Mike Devoll said teachers will also take on parts of the curriculum that best correspond to their subject areas.