Library Possibilities

Question: What are other ways a library can become functional, customizable, and flexible?

My flipbook for an ideal library space - The main idea is to have something functional, customizable, and flexible. All considerations and changes for library possibilities will be filtered through those three ideas. 

The library can be...

A place for creativity and exploration.

"But we do have the capability to encourage making at our libraries. Making means learning through trial and error, through practical application, and through hands-on experience in a social environment. Making means giving access to communities to grow and create something better." (YALSA)

Not all libraries will be capable of having a dedicated makerspace, but YALSA addresses this by saying that the purpose is not to make physical space, but make space for attitudes such as creativity, exploration, and trial and error. Rather than fixate on the space itself, the library can focus on being known as a place that supports creativity and exploration. This could be achieved through workshops or temporary maker stations that the library hosts throughout the year. The library may also volunteer to showcase student work from those events in order to encourage even more making.

A flexible learning environment. 

Students, classes, and teachers all come in to the library with different needs. Aside from having the necessary resources, the library needs to have the right environment to meet those needs. Dennis Pierce's (2015) article echoes this sentiment and mentions that as the education transforms, so does the space and the layout of the room. Rather than have students sitting in rows Pierce (2015) mentions that "furniture that students and teachers can move around easily and put together in various configurations to accommodate different groupings" is being implemented to meet the changes. TVs and workspaces have gradually been added to schools as the way we teach has transformed with the introduction of technology. Having these flexible spaces where learning can be done alone, in a group, or as a class means that they will be able to meet the needs of the school population in this way with minimal difficulty. The environment can be adjusted based on the need at hand.

This can be done by having adjustable furniture, such as having wheels on the bottoms or being able to adjust the heights of tables and chairs.

A place that is responsive to the needs of the school community. 

As a component of the school that is accessible to the entire community (staff and students), the library has a lot of opportunity to build connections with many people. They are able to see many people and talk with them about their current needs and questions. Because of this, the library is in a prime position to respond to the needs of their community. If the school is lacking in ADST resources, the library may step in to provide the space, resources, or mentorship to fulfill that. If they have multiple students and teachers coming in for citation assistance, perhaps the library can create a weekly drop-in program to host workshops. By observing and connecting with the school community, the library can become a place that is response to their needs. 

References

Pierce, D. (25 August 2015). 3 Ways Mobile Technology is Transforming Learning Spaces. The Journal, retrieved 20 April 2021 from https://thejournal.com/Articles/2015/08/25/3-Ways-Mobile-Technology-Is-Transforming-Learning-Spaces.aspx?Page=1

Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). (2014). Making in the Library Toolkit, pp. 3-17, retrieved 20 April 2021 http://www.ala.org/yalsa/sites/ala.org.yalsa/files/content/MakingintheLibraryToolkit2014.pdf