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School Libraries in the 21 st Century: Programming & Design Liz Gray October 2014

School Libraries Programming & Design

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What changes do 21st C school libraries have to embrace in order to remain relevant? A look at the change process, how one school re-envisioned itself, and how to achieve similar changes through thoughtful programming and design choices.

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School Libraries in the 21st Century: Programming & DesignLiz GrayOctober 2014

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The Change Mindset

Institutions that adapt well to change• are closely connected to their environments,• value innovation and experimentation,• and are constantly learning about new practices and technologies.

(Lawler & Worley)

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The Change Process• Make it a big-picture discussion• Generate ideas in a way that involves the whole

faculty, not just the librarians and a select few• Blue sky it so people will think creatively• Request time at a faculty meeting and get people

out of their chairs and moving around • Use technology to help you reach everyone• Revisit ideas as the priorities and budget evolve• Kick the tires• Adapt at every step of the process• As soon as you think you’re done, start over

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Sugata Mitra’s Hole in the Wall, Delhi, India(Trucano)

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Dana Hall’s Vision Statement

• A 21st-century education cannot truly exist within the confines of a brick-and-mortar school that offers a limited number of courses at specific times of day. Given those constraints, however, there is much that a school can do to promote and develop the characteristics of a 21st-century educational mindset:

• a research-driven interdisciplinary curriculum that draws from a range of sources rather than being textbook-dependent;

• a focus on developing multiple literacies--information, media, visual, digital, emotional and physical, as well as reading, writing, and math;

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• engagement with global issues; • use of adaptive and dynamic technology whenever

appropriate; • an appreciation of process and skills, as well as

content; and• collaborative and creative students whose

achievement and passion drive the learning process.

• In a 21st-century school all learning styles are normal; as much time and energy is devoted to synthesis, analysis and evaluation of information as to memorization, comprehension and application; and the goal is to cultivate lifelong learning in both students and teachers.

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Library as Third Place• First Place: home & those you live with• Second Place: work or school—where you spend

most of your time• Third Place: an anchor of community life that

facilitates and fosters broader, more creative interaction

• Hallmarks of a true third place:• Free or inexpensive• Food and drink typically play a role• Highly accessible• Regulars habitually congregate there• Welcoming and comfortable

(Oldenburg)

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The New Yorker, October 18, 2010

One year after Cushing Academy divested itself of 80% of its print collection.

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Helen Temple Cooke Library @ Dana Hall SchoolBuilt in 1998; photo taken in 2007

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School Mission StatementLook at the key words that inform the library’s role within the life of the school:

Dana Hall School is committed to fostering excellence in academics, the arts and athletics within a vibrant, caring community. With emphasis on diversity, integrity, leadership, and service as well as on respect for self and others, Dana Hall provides its students with a unique opportunity to prepare themselves for the challenges and choices they will face as women and citizens of the world.

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Library Mission StatementThe Helen Temple Cooke Library is a complete information resource center designed to serve the students, faculty and staff of Dana Hall School. Its primary goals are to support the diverse academic curriculum, to meet a wide range of student interests and abilities by providing multiple resources for learning, to develop the skills and self-confidence of students so they can operate effectively in any library, to provide a comfortable and caring atmosphere for individual and group study, and to foster a lifelong appreciation of reading, viewing, and listening as sources of pleasure and personal growth.

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Ask These Questions• What information do I need?• Learning styles of my users• Instructional models, curriculum & tech tools being

used in classrooms• Appropriate content• Appropriate formats

• What problem am I trying to solve?• New learning goals• Ubiquitous access to information• Users who want & need to work in new ways

• What do I already know?• Data and statistics are your friends• Document your past successes

(Salant & Dillman, p. 25)

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What Did We Change in the Dana Hall Library?

• Added of flexible furniture• Heightened tolerance by librarians for

noise• Allowed some food and drink (non-messy

snacks and drinks in closed containers)• Adopted and used mobile technology• Purchased new furniture that works well

with mobile technology• Reorganized the collection• Named and advertised what we do

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Needs Assessment• Survey all constituencies online with mostly close-ended

questions (multiple choice, ranking, rating that offers an even number of choices)

• Conduct focus groups with mostly open-ended questions; have a facilitator and a recorder to document

• Observe use patterns• Where are people working in groups?• How is the furniture being moved around?• Who is not using your space and why?

• Visit other libraries • Look for examples of specific elements• Pay attention to details (light fixtures, door handles,

window shades, casters, outlets, table edges, open space)• Take pictures and be inspired!

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The New Yorker, c. 2010Four years ago this was funny; today it’s an actual airline directive.

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Collection Assessment• Weed regularly and systematically• Question traditional classification schemes• Absorb print reference into circulation• Examine balance of print vs. digital reference• Consider non-print formats—audio, video,

databases, ebooks—and their impact on collection of physical materials

• Consider the possibility of moving parts of the collection to increase use and make better use of space

• Determine what information in what format you are not providing and why

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Program Document• These four words should be at the forefront of your

mind at all times:• Function• Flexibility• Collaboration• Creativity

• For each area, consider:• Activities that will take place in the space• Equipment that will be needed• Adjacencies to be considered

• There is no detail too small to be included• Include images if possible• You will have to work around some immovable

objects

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Key Design Elements

•Furniture•Lighting•Acoustics•Finishes•Technology

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Anatomy of a Chair

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Seating Considerations• Fit and comfort• Height adjustability• Upholstered or not• Arms or armless• Tablet arm or no tablet arm• Casters or no casters• Type of base• Color of metal frame, plastic seat, & upholstery• Finish on tablet arm• Price (KI’s Strive Learn 2 chair as shown: $485)• Ability to visualize the chair in use in your space

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Yoga Blocks

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Lighting Examples

Dana Hall School Salem State University

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Lighting Considerations• Variety• Natural• Task• Reflected• Fluorescent

• Management• UV Filtering shades in most areas• UV blocking shades in presentation zones• Dimmers• Light switches in a single bank in a controlled area

• Screen placement vis-à-vis natural light• Night as well as day conditions• Orientation of building

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Acoustic Considerations• Acoustic panels can be used in a dropped ceiling or on

the wall and come in a range of densities; the higher the NRC (noise reduction co-efficiency), the better the sound absorption

• Acoustic tiles can also be covered with acoustically transparent materials (fabric, perforated metal, wood slats) for aesthetic reasons

• Carpeting and upholstery are sound-absorbing materials

• Some acoustic wall panels can also be used as a tackable surface, increasing their flexibility

• HVAC systems generate an engineered white noise• Read this for a detailed overview of the topic: http://www.librisdesign.org/docs/AcousticsLibraries.pdf

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Mobile Magnetic Whiteboards

Steelcase: $675 Clarus: $1800

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Finishes: Color

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Finish Considerations• Ease of maintenance• Continuous smooth surfaces on tables—no bumpy lips• Matte finish preferable to shiny for cutting down glare and

reducing eyestrain• Upholstery• Avoid the harvest gold & avocado of the day• Ask for bigger samples so you can see how a pattern repeats

(7” x 9” swatches rather than thumbnails)• Look for a minimum of 75,000 double rubs

• Make color decisions with a committee of three, and try to include an art teacher

• Find out what fire code standard (CAL 133 or 117; former is more restrictive) is required in your state or municipality

• IdeaPaint is a wonderful thing but must be applied by a trained professional

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Technology Considerations• Ubiquitous wireless is the dream but it’s not

always dependable• Put outlets everywhere: walls, floor, carrels,

above counters, tables if they are fixed in place• Manage your cords• Schools considering BYOD, 1-to-1 laptop and/or

iPad programs need to enhance their infrastructure first

• Always include the IT people when planning for new products or enhancements

• Have a technology line item in your budget• Be the place that experiments with the new tech

toys• Mobile videoconferencing expands your reach

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Ergotron’s Neoflex Monitor Stand

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Makerspace Considerations

• Define your scope: 3D printer? Arts & crafts? Tinkering with electronics?

• Designate a space• Designate a manager of the space• Offer as a library resource and/or collaborate

with interested faculty. Like every other school library venture, it has maximum impact if tied to curriculum

• Creation is messy. Increase your tolerance and set up procedures for managing the mess when (or before) the bell rings.

• Consider the impact on adjacent spaces and activities. Melting plastic can be smelly.

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Works Cited• Lawler, Edward E. and Christopher G. Worley. Built to

Change: How to Achieve Sustained Organizational Effectiveness. New York: Jossey-Bass, 2006. Print.

• Oldenburg, Ray. The Great Good Place. New York: Marlowe & Company, 1999. Print.

• Salant, Priscilla, and Don A. Dillman. How To Conduct Your Own Survey. New York: Wiley, 1994. Print.

• Sullivan, Margaret. Library Spaces for 21st-Century Learners: A Planning Guide for Creating New School Library Concepts. Chicago: American Association of School Librarians, 2013. Print.

• Trucano, Michael. “Searching for India’s Hole in the Wall.” World Bank. 2010. Web. http://blogs.worldbank.org/edutech/searching-for-indias-hole-in-the-wall.