Design for a 21st century learning space
Library Learning Commons or Centre of Teaching and Learning,
the library's just not for books anymore!
the library's just not for books anymore!
An inviting and welcoming space
A Library Learning Commons, or Centre of Teaching and Learning could be a lively, welcoming hub of the college. Three years ago when a new supervisor arrived, I got the chance to help rework our library space. Below you see the design a colleague and I worked out in 2013, and which has been in effect for the past three years. Our space includes a bookable classroom with interactive whiteboard and computers. We also have laptops and iPads for student use – but anchored to tables. There’s an area for viewing and gaming, as well as a nook for board games and another for reading (all can be seen on my diagram). But the space itself is underused and rather unwelcoming, a place where some staff focus more on their own devices than the humans who cross the threshold. While it’s hard to implement change, if allowed, I would gut the entire place to shake things up. I would like to bring computers to the front of the library, and move circulation to the centre of the space. I’d like to position the human help throughout the library so they're less distracted by their peers and could concentrate on the clients. I’d like to have a functioning maker-space, even if it just starts out as a place where students get help to properly prepare and print-out essays and reports. They need to want to come to the library to *do* things. We have computers with software for making digital products that students need help to use. I’d have more nooks for quiet study, as well as bean bag chairs and cushions suitable for adult use. In a perfect world, you know, these wishes would all come true! "...thinking and planning like a teacher-librarian enriches the learning environment and increases student engagement." Staffing for success
In my dream, all jobs in the learning commons would be meaningful, filled by enthusiastic people who would keep the library open and active for both morning and evening students. As it is, for our setting of <500 students, we share a librarian with the Women’s campus, have three library officers (assistants/technicians) and one full-time coordinator of the Independent Learning Centre, which is located within the library. I understand that the EdTech coordinator and support officer now also report to the supervisor of Learning Resources. So with that number of positions, it would seem that opening the space for our customers – the students and teachers – shouldn’t be a problem. It would simply mean staggering shifts, and possibly alternating early/late timings. Classes are held from 8 a.m.- 8 p.m., but currently our library closes at 5 p.m. As I work in a tertiary setting, it is possible to have more staff, but for them to be productive, their jobs must be well-defined and meaningful. I would keep the existing practice of hiring a full-time librarian, and technicians who maintain the collection, but also train them to help orient students to the resources. If the EdTech personnel could move into the Centre of Learning, they could assist both students and teachers as work on authentic projects which invariably involve technology in some way. Lastly, I would revise the position of Independent Learning Coordinator to be for a qualified Teacher-Librarian – one who is familiar enough with the workings of a library, but who is also a trained teacher who understands the kinds of support for learning that faculty members need to make the most of a learning centre. an Selecting resources
In the screencast above, Annette Lamb explains the library selection criteria developed by Helen Haines. In my setting, I would try to make choices which consider the community, are comprehensive, and suit all audiences, ages and abilities. Impartiality when allocating the budget would, I hope, ensure that all subject areas are represented in our collection. Understanding that this takes time, I’ve recently learned just how long. I made a proposal to spend some remaining funds to purchase a subscription to MindTools, only to learn just how long that process takes:
Screencast: Lamb, A. (2012-2105). Selection. Retrieved from http://eduscapes.com/collection/4.htm |
Moving toward a Library Learning Commons
The first thing I would do is to locate everyone who reports to the supervisor of Learning Resources in the Learning Commons space. Collaboration and integration is more likely to take place if people are not spread throughout the campus, but are easily accessible to bounce ideas off, or help solve a problem. Centralizing operations would, in my mind, make for a much more productive facility for helping students, and training staff. The more hands on deck, the less work for all, I believe. The CommonCraft video explains my ideal setting. e‐books and e‐literacy
With respect to e-literacy, I would dedicate a space to teaching students about digital literacy: being a smart consumer of all media, but particularly of digital texts, is a valuable skill for all. My focus would be on teaching students how to access quality reading materials from their own device. This goes beyond just e-books from our collection, but involves becoming discerning consumers of texts they find on the internet. Part of e-literacy involves developing one’s skills at evaluating information found on online and in the library’s electronic resources. Just because something can be found in our collection, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s relevant. Nowadays we all need to be able to use our own tablets, smartphones and computers for recreational and research reading, and more importantly, we need to be able to read wherever, whenever. First and foremost, I would offer workshops on how to maximize one's personal device for learning. That said, we do have students who have limited access to the internet and the college space offers the chance to read after class. We have iPads which are underutilised and I think that using these could be a great way for introducing literacy circles. In small groups, the TL, teacher or even a peer-tutor could gather in the Centre of Learning to read together. Currently, our library iPads are secured to a table, however our first year students have them as their learning device - personal or on loan and could use their own device but read together. I prefer to focus on using tablets and/or smartphones for reading e-books. To date, the e-texts we have for use on laptops are cumbersome to read and navigation is dreadful. Reading on tablets and smartphones is a more enjoyable experience in general - although I’m not going to say that the text always flows smoothly. As ever, evolving technologies will create what users demand. Responsible social media use
I think a library website must be easy to maintain and update as required. What I would include would be core location information, opening hours, programs, initiatives and resources available in the physical space first. I would then host the variety of digital resources available within the collection. I would try to do so in the least cluttered way possible, much along the lines of the elementary library page from the American Community School in Abu Dhabi. Less is more in so many ways. De-cluttering a website makes it much more user-friendly. To promote what the learning centre offers, I would need to swallow my own aversion to social media and communicate events, news and opportunities via a library account. With social media comes a lot of responsibility when posting – taking care not to publish names and photos of people – children, staff and visitors – without obtaining explicit permission to do so. The communicative impact of social media is too great to be discounted as a promotional tool for any library, but the social media manager needs to carefully consider the purpose and audience of every post. I recommend following the advice of Stop. Think. Click or Stop.Think. Connect. Having a ‘use with caution’ sign nearby wouldn’t hurt. And just in time, the latest copy of Professionally Speaking two days ago: pp. 28-33 have excellent advice. Library Services and Lessons
The list of possibilities is endless. Here is a selection of possiblities for students and for staff. I have so many ideas about what in-house workshops and training we could offer to students, teachers, administrators, and possibly through outreach with the local community. I would love to run workshops on an as-needed basis, or perhaps get faculty to come for regular (monthly?) meet and learn sessions. Inviting experts, including students, to host sessions would reinforce the goals of a centre of teaching and learning. Ask what students and faculty need, and then try to provide that PD. I’m a firm believer of ‘if you build it, they will come’ and know that most people love to learn. A few ideas are: Library 101 – who we are and what we do Note-taking Skills – what and how to record Presentation Skills – the basics of public speaking Research Basics – using the catalogue, finding and evaluating resources Citation Help – what, why, how Internet Safety, Digital Footprint and Citizenship Using social media responsibly Web Tools Workshops – Prezi, ThingLink, VoiceThread, Screencasting 21st Century Literacy-based topics - critical, digital, information, media Advocating for centres of learning
Library advocacy seems to be more necessary nowadays; I have asked myself if this struggle to maintain school and community libraries has been caused by the internet, where *answers* can be so readily found to any question. What a computer cannot do, however, is evaluate online findings for accuracy and reliability. The historical importance of libraries and librarians as the caretakers and guardians of knowledge and learning has not diminished; in the 21st century world, information bombards us incessantly - from so many sources, and in so many forms, which makes it ever so more crucial to be able to critically assess and evaluate information. The concepts below are some reasons why we need to fight for the right of each person to enjoy the wonders of learning in a library setting. The word cloud below contains many of the functions a Library Learning Commons or Centre of Teaching and Learning fulfills. These are things I would stress when advocating for a CTL. |