Let’s say that your school administration and board of director/education have just given you free reign to re-purpose and restructure your school library. They’ve latched on to the Library 2.0 movement as an opportunity to reinvent that room in the middle of the school.
I have three questions:
- What do you eject?
- What do you add?
- ..and what is the fundamental guiding principle(s) that drives your decisions?
Image Citation:
Julien. “Cool Big Library.” THEfunkyman’s Photostream. 13 Jan 2007. 27 Mar 2007 <http://flickr.com/photos/djou/355937778/>.
How about a coffee shop atmosphere ala Barnes & Noble with lots of comfy furniture and maybe even a fireplace for those of us in colder climates? How about extended hours for the place to encourage it as a destination for students to encourage expanding the school day? How about flexible seating to encourage group projects and meeting spaces? Access to technology (laptops, multimedia communication tools, etc.)?
1.I feel that in the modern school library (or at least my school’s) there is nothing to “eject”. We have all that we need, because the library was built just last year. While some other school libraries may not be as recently built, I do not see the issue of updating the rooms to fit modern times. Libraries are pretty much the only place that do not need changed to fit with technological advances, because while the reference section may be updated, the rest of the library will stay the same. What is in books doesn’t change. So, in my opinion, I don’t feel that libraries need an addition.
2.I would add to my library more books, since that is one thing that you can never have too much of. This would give students more to choose from, obviously, and more types of books would appeal to more types of people. I do not feel that libraries need more than one computer, because there are plenty of other places available to user computers, and libraries are meant for reading. 99% of students in my school’s library do not come to the library in their free time to read, but to got on the computers or just hang out. More computers would just mean more unused books.
3.The guiding principals that make me say these things is that I do not feel that libraries ned to be changed. Everywhere you go, places are changing to keep up with the changing technological world, and libraries seem to be the only “safe” place left. And I don’t want that to change.
I really like Tim Kamp’s idea about the whole Barnes and Noble thing. But Maybe if it was more like a Starbucks environment with coffee and latte’s and pastries. That would be even cooler. More couches, and comfy chairs would be cool and maybe a few chess tables here and there.
What Goes:
Ubiquitous newspaper (hanging on odd bamboo holders) and magazines (in their plastic binders).
Ominous looking librarian station centrally located.
Row of yellowing computers on the far wall.
The sign above them, the one that begins ‘No..”
What Stays:
Books. (They smell good. It’s a big room. You want folks of all generations here.)
Poetry — lots of it. (Along with other creative outlets like screenplays, plays, etc.)
A few study carols.
A quiet area.
Art. (Sometimes it’s here already.)
What’s New?:
I agree with Tim about the comfortable, flexible seating. (But without the Starbucks, in my setup please. I want inquiry to be the stimulant of choice.)
Multiple librarian setups — much like the ref. librarian. (Accessible, welcoming, practical.)
A not so quiet area. A collaborative commons.
Art. Lots of student work.
Fundamental Guiding Principle (not Principal);
Using multiple literacies to support inquiry and connectivism.
Thanks for the opportunity. Good question. jp
1. What goes? All the outdated books. Keep the rest.
2. What is added? I think you need to rearrange the space to encourage collaboration. Computers or laptops arranged in pinwheels instead of in rows. Chairs and comfortable furniture facing each other. WIRELESS ACCESS! iPods with Audiobooks.
3. The guiding principle is connecting users to each other, be they internet users or library users. They should walk into your space and know exactly what they are supposed to do by how it is set up.
Here’s a question 4: What is the role of the book in Library 2.0? I think there’s an answer out there, probably somewhere in connecting readers with other readers.
Well, i have been sitting here hitting refresh for too long and need to venture out and make a comment. Why am i hitting refresh? because we are breaking ground on a new media centre here in the Dominican Republic as soon as this school year ends. In fact we were meeting with the Architects last week. I can’t wait to get some ideas from the responses that show up here but here is some of what we have:
MODULAR we want the ability for the library to shape and re-shape to better fit the needs of its users. small groups, big groups, literature circles, a book club…tell us your need and we will make it work.
We have a relaxed “Barnes and Noble-esque” feel to it including an outdoor reading patio. Further to this (the geography major in me loves this) it is also situated right at the heart of the campus, it is a goal to make it a place that students are, where they enjoy going to and better yet come to in their spare time.
It includes a state of the art video conferencing centre with stadium seating that has the capacity to allow for multiple classes or for staff development opportunities, well at the same time can be used for small group or one on one video conference situations.
It will be fully wireless, and the complex houses multiple computer labs. The library itself has one complete lab and areas for students to work on their Virtual High School course work.
We have tried to space carrels around so there is never one too far from where you are researching.
There has been a great deal of time spent on the aesthetics of the building and it is flooded with natural light, again our goal: a place students WANT to be.
We are going to have a couple of computer stations outfitted solely for searching the in-house collection (standing machines)
Here are some questions, we have begun talking and researching some diskless workstations. Do you have experience with these? How do you think they would function in the new library setting?
As for the ejection. I am an international teacher. Part of my life is moving. It isn’t easy, but i really do love it, what i love most is the ability, not the necesity to purge my life every few years. To answer hard questions about what needs to be kept and what does not. I see this move as an opportunity to really consider what is being used and what can be let go of. That said we are building a site with wonderful storage capacity, but just cause the space is there doesn’t mean it has to be filled.
The new media centre here at CMS is extremely exciting. I am going to be the new Academic Technology Director of the school, we have a new head of libraries and another new librarian joining the team as well. I see this construction as being perfectly timed, both myself and the new head of libraries have similar goals of deeply connecting our positions, this construction will connect our physical space a natural step. This site will become the physical center of the school and student learning here at CMS.
I will be anxiously reading the posts here for more ideas, so keep them coming…
I believe that the library is a central place of learning and education and has been for many generations now. I don’t think there are many things you can really eject from the normal library environment. There are a few things I would definitely add to it but I don’t know if there is anything we can really eject.
Additions:
I would definitely add more books to my school library, its not that big and isn’t great for a wide selection. I would add more computers in the central library because there is also a writing center located in the library, but it is always really busy. In addition I believe old newspapers should be removed, unless they have a special significance. There is really no use for them if they are not to show something good or monumental. The other thing that would be detrimental to our library would be an area to express other forms of creativity. The addition would be a part of the library where you can display art, screen plays, recent projects that students have done.
Ejects:
There is not much too eject. There are a few aesthetic changes that could be made like, where the check out desk is and the size. The desk should be near the back and the library should be bigger. Libraries have attracted people for many generations, whether it was for a school project or to discover a new book. So in reality you should never really change the basic principles of the library. There should always be books. It is history and if you destroy the books then you are destroying a big part of history.
I don’t think my school will ever really take these ideas into consideration but it is definitely nice to dream of the possibilities.
This is a blog, so I’m going to push some buttons and question some assumptions. I’m not against big, beautiful libraries, but I want to run with the idea of reinvention:
Ejects: Abandon the belief that the necessity and importance of libraries and librarians are self-evident to everyone. And let go of the belief in the immanent value of books as informational medium. In the nearly distant future, we will still read novels, pop non-fiction of the moment, manga, and magazines. But print non-fiction as reference? Kids don’t have/take the time. Wikipedia and The Google have won that war. And for the vast majority of people, ‘good enough’ is unfortunately good enough.
I would like to comment on the already blogged comments regarding Barnes and Noble. I love BN, but it’s not a library. It sells music, books and coffee. These commodities have to be either very hot or very cool. But odd, old and cold don’t sell, unless they’re (repackaged) classics. Barnes and Noble and its chain bookstore ilk are popular because they have the latest and greatest. But their ‘collection policy’ is dictated by the market, not by an instructional philosophy. And Barnes and Noble makes us feel good because it reassures us that print may still be alive. But a walk through the discount rack reveals this lifespan is short indeed. As ‘space,’ it is commercial, not educational.
In the hope of fomenting and provoking some more, I would argue that we don’t have to ADD anything. We need to keep ejecting.
Eject (continued) As adults and professionals, we all have Platonic notions of the perfect library. Unless you teach in a rich international school, you’re unlikely to get it. (I did, several years ago.) So let go of ‘library as space.’ Now I work in a cramped afterthought of a library, not of my design. I define my space more by my philosophy and services than by slavishly trying to align my architecturally doomed space to what could or should be. The Internets has taught us that space is no longer necessary to organize, collect, or share information. Sure it’s nice to crash and share with friends. Yes, we need a space to present our Powerpoints. But these things can happen anywhere in a school.
I think we need to focus on what Jeff Bezos of Amazon calls HITs or ‘human intelligence tasks.’ In an interesting article last Sunday in NY Times, there was a discussion about how some simple tasks can prove to be almost impossible for computers. If we look at our craft, we can enumerate many that would be near impossible for even the latest Cupertino WunderMac to complete. Sure, computers can provide thousands of reviews and opinions on any given book, but they can they simultaneously process a kid’s interests, reading levels, and needs? The Google might be able to provide millions of hits for a given research term, but it will never know that word as a concept or subject. And finally, despite its breadth, the Internets may be able to answer the random question about MLA citation or the latest book in Garth Nix’s series, but ironically, it’s faster for kids ask me than look it up. And so I, not my library, remain essential in this modern age.
This leads me to the guiding principle: Solve Problems. Inspired by Mr. Wolf of Pulp Fiction fame, I work to solve problems for my patrons. Sometimes that means strategic planning to anticipate future needs. Other times, that means going to Barnes and Noble to buy books for kids or teachers. Additionally, it could be purchasing a database, pulling a set of books, or sitting down with a student that doesn’t understand parenthetical references. In the future, I might be creating an FAQ podcast, finding a streaming video feed, or setting up a Bluetooth network. But I am engaged daily in a messy and random mix of HITs. For many of my students, this is why they come. I’m not here because I or my library SHOULD be. I’ve already ejected that. Modesty aside, I, librarian, am more important than my space. That’s a very scary and liberating thought. It means that reinvention starts with me. And that’s a major capital project.
Through out those old dusty encyclopedias first. Buy as many laptops as possible. Comfy furniture for draping oneself over with laptops. Stop getting any new high school books immediately and start eliminating them year by year, yard sale by yard sale. keep and expand primary children’s literature and low shelving.
Guiding Principle? It is a librarian’s mission to prepare future citizens who are successful in both His kingdom and in the kingdom in which He has placed us. Therefore digital literacy is essential, online research necessary, and a strong sense of ethics mandatory.
Hi David,
You can read about the transformation of the Grandview Library — I took the position 3 years ago, and have kept a kind of “memoir” of the journey — at http://www.digitalpencil.org/About.aspx
Digital Pencil is the companion site I built for http://www.grandviewlibrary.org.
I have been very fortunate to have support of both school-level and district-level administration. I am now pushing the technology I have int the library into the classrooms. The teachers are loving it… we’re doing some great collaboration.
Sarah
My school burned (yes burned) all books in the library that were older than the oldest pupil in the school! The library has now been rebadged as The Resource Centre.
Many of the comments above are very interesting. I work in a huge space that is awesome. It was built after the flood of 72. I would like wireless access (which my district is currently looking into.) New furniture (more teen friendly)-the built in chess table would be nice. It would be nice if they had an outdoor reading patio too-that is a great idea. The fireplace sounds nice as well. More computers-we have 10. A designated collaborative space would be nice too-maybe with sound blockers so other students wouldn’t be disturbed?
More audiobooks with the ability for students to download them on their Ipods.
Maybe clustered learning packages-for example, the text of Hamlet, the audiobook, & the movie, a studyguide, an activity to complete, a wiki, etc.-that students could access at home or school.
My post got “eaten” so I will try again!
I’m currently working on a new library space that we are planning as a “research center.” I do agree with Mark that you can create an environment just by how you think of your purpose within a campus and how you work with students. On the other hand, since I have the opportunity to redesign our library, I”d like to make it more reflective of our philosophy. I am trying to envision it as Library 2.0 or the information commons I saw that was mentioned above.
Eject–inflexible spaces, high shelving, barriers to information(ominous library desks, confusing spaces, doors), dewey decimal signage. Wouldn’t it be great to “tag” the library instead?
Add–light, flexible spaces, wireless, lots of electrical, comfy chairs, production areas, laptops and mobile laptop labs, moveable walls. Laptop use is really vital. I want to future proof the space and having walls that can open up or furniture that is repurposable is part of that. I want to integrate the book “stacks” so that there are seats and laptop areas in among the books for more natural integration of the two.
(I noticed Mark’s comment about nonfiction–I”ve noticed the same trend, except for the narrative nonfiction which flies off the shelf still). I also think the way libraries are set up, though, with books far away from computers is part of the issue with that. When we have situations where we integrate them like when we use the mobile lab in our library, students happily will sit with a laptop and a set of books and use both.
As far as Barnes/Noble or Borders, the thing that I believe draws people is the ability to sit in a nook or at a comfortable table with your laptop, book, and coffee. That’s the feel I’d like to replicate….
You do have to rethink the space because technology is changing what we do and what is needed and how we will operate. In a school, I think libraries provide a comfortable student learning environment–there are not very many spaces in schools like that for kids, often.
I think that a library is less about the space, and more about what goes on in that space. We have a good library, but more importantly, we have a GREAT library media specialist! She has cleaned house for sure, but the ADDS include:
monthly curriculum meetings with teachers to coordinate library centers that will enhance classroom instruction.
monthly podcasts done by students to let everyone know “what’s up in the LMC”.
totally revamped library schedule to allow for large chunks of flexible time. This allows students to visit more frequently to self-checkout books, collaborate in a learning center, or do research. This also allows for teachers to come in and collaborate with the librarian on inquiry lessons using the 24 computers available in the LMC.
I guess I have the same feeling on this subject as I have about education in general. I have been in several school systems in a variety of socioeconomic situations, with a variety of “tools” and facilities. I will probably get alot of flack about this comment, but the bottom line is always the same- people. Great people make great schools! Teachers, Administrators, Library media specialists, janitors…love the kids, teach the kids, give them everything you have, never stop learning. That is what makes a great library- not the books or the chairs or the latte’ (and I LOVE latte’!)