school library media centers for the 21st century gerry solomon, school library media consultant...

School Library Media Centers for the 21st Century

Gerry Solomon, School Library Media Consultant Acacia Dixon, Instructional Technology Consultant

NC Department of Public Instruction Instructional Technology Division

Top Ten!School libraries are

places of opportunity where:•all students can strive for and achieve success

•quality collections are provided, in print and online, that support the curriculum and address a variety of learning needs

•students develop a love of reading and literature

•library media specialists help students explore the world around them through print and electronic media

•students can work individually or in small groups on research and collaborative projects

Toolkit for School Library Media Programs. Chicago: American

Library Association, 2003.

The Top Ten!

Top Ten!

#10: Atmosphere Ceiling Heights

Acoustics

Visual interest in architectural design and

texture

Separate Climate Control

Comfortable Seating

Display Areas

#9: Let There Be Light!

“Under full spectrum light students attended school 3.2-3.8 days more per year, had nine times less tooth decay, grew an average of ¾ inches taller, and had more positive moods and better academic performance than students attending schools with other other lighting.”

U. Rouk. “School Sense.” PROBE, Spring 1997. (As quoted by Doug Johnson, Director of Media and Technology, Mankato Public Schoolswww.doug-johnson.com/dougwri/buildingquestions.html)

Top Ten!

Natural Lighting

Wires, Wires, Wires!

#8: Where Do You Plug It In?“When planning for technology, find the right balance between the future and the present. Don’t try to predict what technologies will replace today’s—be aware of the possibilities and be prepared to adapt, but build an infrastructure that extends the capabilities of today’s technologies in case the changes don’t occur as predicted.”

Lucinda M. O’Neill. “Building Forward: How Communities Can Design School or Public Libraries That Will Serve This Generation and the Next.”Threshold, Winter 2004, www.ciconline.org.

Top Ten!

Retrofit Power Poles

#8: Where Do You Plug It In?“When planning for technology, find the right balance between the future and the present. Don’t try to predict what technologies will replace today’s—be aware of the possibilities and be prepared to adapt, but build an infrastructure that extends the capabilities of today’s technologies in case the changes don’t occur as predicted.”

Lucinda M. O’Neill. “Building Forward: How

Communities Can Design School or Public Libraries

That Will Serve This Generation and the Next.”

Threshold, Winter 2004, www.ciconline.org.

Top Ten!

#7: Shelve It!

The Old

Casters!

Top Ten!

Flexibility to create multi-purpose use areas

Adjustable Shelving

#6: Line of Sight

• Entire media center viewable from circulation desk

• No dead zones where students can not be observed

• Shelf placement for viewing down the aisles

• Adequate windows for office and workroom

Top Ten!

Supervision of Online Access

#5: Check It Out!

Top Ten!

Adjacency

Two Computer Stations

Two Heights

#4: So Much To Do!

Top Ten!

Media Center Activities

Large-group instruction

Reference

Story Sharing (elementary)

Independent work areas

Small group work areas

Informal reading

Production (e.g. video)

Circulation

Administration (office)

Professional area/ Workroom(can be in a conference room)

Display/exhibit

#4: So Much To Do!

Top Ten!

Media Center Activities

Large-group instruction

Reference

Story Sharing (elementary)

Independent work areas

Small group work areas

Informal reading

Production (e.g. video)

Circulation

Administration (office)

Professional area/ Workroom(can be in a conference room)

Display/exhibit

#2: The Hub of the School “The future library issimultaneously aclassroom, computerlab, reading room,study hall,

conferencecenter, theater,

lecturehall, teacher’s

lounge,Community center,…and a place forparents to meet.”

Henry Myerberg. “School

Libraries: A Design Recipe

for the Future.” Knowledge

Quest, Vol 31 No 1,

September/October 2002.

Top Ten!

Recipe for Inquiry-Based School Library Design

• 1 open, flexible space (one edge minimum with windows)

• 8000+ interesting books and shelving• 48 seats (hard and soft)• 12 tables (4 kids to a table)• 120 pounds of fresh technology (computers,

scanners, projectors, wireless laptops)• 6 common building materials (i.e. wood, metal,

plastic, paint, glass, fibers)• 1 full spectrum of light and color• Tons of letters and numeralsHenry Myerberg. “School Libraries: A Design Recipe for the

Future.” Knowledge Quest, Vol 31 No 1, September/October 2002.

Top Ten!

“The library of the future still is going to bean environment in which people can interact,they can work in small groups, and kids can learn to socialize with each other, to actively engage in learning.”

Doug Johnson, Director of Media and Technology

Mankato (MN) School District.

O’Neill, Lucinda M. “Building Forward: How Communities Can Design School or Public Libraries That Will Serve This Generation and the Next.”

Threshold, Winter 2004, www.ciconline.org.

Top Ten!

#1: No Two Are the Same

Access for Everyone

Future-Ready Students

“The guiding mission of the North Carolina State Board of Education is that every public school

student will graduate from high school, globally competitive for work and postsecondary

education and prepared for life in the 21st century.”

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/sbe_meetings/revisions/2006/pdfs/0609/sbefgfrs2.pdf

Mission

School Libraries Work

“School libraries are much more than books. They are a learning hub with a full range of print and electronic resources that support student achievement.”

Research Foundation Paper: School Libraries Work!, 2006 ed.

Danbury CT: Scholastic Library Publishing, 2007.

Mission

The Illinois Study

“The evidence from this survey indicates that Illinois school libraries contribute measurably to the academic achievement of students…where students use school libraries, both individually and as groups, to learn and practice information literacy skills.”

Lance, Keith Curry, Marcia J. Rodney, and Christine Hamilton-Pennell. Powerful Libraries Make Powerful Learners: the Illinois Study. Illinois School Library Media Association, 2005. Date Accessed: 22 2 2007

<http://www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/illinoisstudy/TheStudy.pdf>.

Mission

“The library of the future still is going to bean environment in which people can interact,they can work in small groups, and kids can learn to socialize with each other, to actively engage in learning.”

Doug Johnson, Director of Media and Technology

Mankato (MN) School District.O’Neill, Lucinda M. “Building Forward: How Communities Can Design School or Public Libraries That Will Serve This Generation and the Next.”

Threshold, Winter 2004, www.ciconline.org.

#1: No Two Are the Same

Learning

Why?

Re-thinking the Media Center

As schools become larger with student capacity over 1,000 students, a ideal solution for the 21st century and beyond is to create small scale learning communities of 400-500 students.

Therefore consider the modern learning environment with a centralized library space containing a series of communities with project based learning research areas comprised of computers, work areas and books.

Conclusions

#1

No Two

Are the Same

“The library of the future still is going to be an environment in which people can interact,they can work in small groups, and kids can learn to socialize with each other, to actively engage in learning.”

Doug Johnson, Director of Media and TechnologyMankato (MN) School District.

O’Neill, Lucinda M. “Building Forward: How Communities Can Design School or Public Libraries That Will Serve This Generation and the Next.”

Threshold, Winter 2004, www.ciconline.org.

Media Center Activities

Large-group instruction

Reference

Story Sharing (elementary)

Independent work areas

Small group work areas

Informal reading

Production (e.g. video)

Circulation

Administration (office)

Professional area/ Workroom(can be in a conference room)

Display/exhibit

Media Center Qualities

Research Zones

Control

Visibility

Full Spectrum Lighting

Socialized Learning Areas

Structured Learning Areas

Technology Learning Areas

Project Based Learning Areas

Flexible/Moveable Furniture

Technologically Integrated

Learning Hub

Thanks to the following:• Cabarrus County Schools• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools• Greene County Schools• Lenoir County Schools • New Hanover County Schools• Onslow County Schools• Pamlico County Schools• Sampson County Schools• Wake County Schools• Morris Berg Architects, Charlotte NC

Gerry Solomon, School Library Media Consultant

gsolomon@dpi.state.nc.us

Acacia Dixon, Instructional Technology Consultant

adixon@dpi.state.nc.usNC Department of Public Instruction Instructional Technology Division

In compliance with federal law, including the provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, N C Public Schools administers all state-operated educational programs, employment activities and admissions without discrimination because of race, religion, national or

ethnic origin, color, age, military service, disability, or gender, except where exemption is appropriate and allowed by law.