How to Design Learning Spaces in Libraries
Summary
TLDRIn this episode of 'The Ten-Minute Teacher Podcast,' Vicki Davis interviews Carolyn Foote, a techno librarian and recipient of the 2019 ASL Library Collaboration Award. They discuss strategies for designing learning spaces in libraries, emphasizing the importance of starting with a clear mission and goals to enhance student learning. Foote suggests conducting surveys, creating vision boards, and involving students and faculty in the planning process. The conversation also touches on the evolving terminology for these spaces, with names like 'Learning Commons' and 'Research Center' being used. The podcast highlights the need for inclusive planning and the potential for rebranding to align with the new vision of the space.
Takeaways
- 📝 Start with a clear mission and goals for student learning when designing learning spaces.
- 🗣️ Conduct surveys to understand how students and faculty learn and their preferences for study spaces.
- 🤔 Encourage open-ended questions to help envision possibilities beyond traditional library setups.
- 📋 Use vision design boards to gather ideas and gauge student interest in various learning space elements.
- 🏫 Align the learning space design with the district's mission and goals to ensure it serves its intended purpose.
- 🕒 Allow ample time for the visioning process, ideally a few months, to curate ideas and gather input.
- 🤝 Involve stakeholders, including students, teachers, and administrators, to ensure a collaborative approach.
- 🏗️ Consider rebranding the space, which may involve changes to policies, programs, and how the library operates.
- 🏛️ Learning Commons is still a popular term, but many libraries are adopting unique names that reflect their specific vision.
- 📚 The ultimate goal is to create a space that facilitates research, learning, and creativity, not just change the name for appearance's sake.
Q & A
What is the first step in designing learning spaces according to Carolyn Foote?
-The first step in designing learning spaces is to determine what you want to accomplish for students. This involves starting with your mission and goals and considering how the space impacts student learning.
Why is it important to survey students and faculty before designing learning spaces?
-Surveying students and faculty is important to understand their learning preferences, interests, and needs. This inclusive approach ensures that the learning space meets the diverse requirements of its users.
What is the significance of open-ended questions in the survey process?
-Open-ended questions allow for broader responses that aren't limited by preconceived notions of what a library should be. This encourages participants to think beyond traditional setups and consider innovative possibilities for the learning space.
How can vision design boards help in the learning space design process?
-Vision design boards with photographs of various elements like robots, 3D printers, or different types of furniture can help visualize potential features of the space. Students can indicate their preferences, providing insights into what appeals to them for learning.
What is the role of dreaming and envisioning in the learning space design?
-Dreaming and envisioning allow participants to think beyond current limitations and explore innovative ideas for the space. This can involve activities like designing a library of the future, which encourages creative thinking about potential features and functionalities.
How does aligning with district mission and goals influence learning space design?
-Aligning with district mission and goals ensures that the learning space design supports the broader educational objectives. It helps in creating a space that facilitates connections among people, ideas, and resources effectively.
What is the recommended duration for the vision casting phase in learning space design?
-The vision casting phase should ideally last a few months to allow ample time for information gathering, conversations, surveys, and research. This period is crucial for curating ideas and planning the space effectively.
Why is it beneficial to involve an advisory committee in the learning space design process?
-Involving an advisory committee with stakeholders helps in getting diverse perspectives and ensures that the design process is inclusive. It also aids in aligning the project with the broader educational goals and policies of the district or school.
What is the significance of rebranding in the context of learning space design?
-Rebranding can be part of the process when rethinking and redesigning a learning space. It involves changing the space's name, policies, programs, and how it operates to better align with the new vision and goals.
What are some terms used for progressive learning spaces as mentioned in the script?
-Terms used for progressive learning spaces include Learning Commons, Research Center, Library Incubator, Library Technology Center, and various other creative names that reflect the space's unique features and functions.
How can student involvement in naming spaces enhance the learning environment?
-Allowing students to vote on or suggest names for different areas of the library or learning spaces can increase their sense of ownership and engagement. It makes the learning environment more personalized and responsive to their preferences.
Outlines
📚 Designing Learning Spaces in Libraries
In this segment, Vicki Davis interviews Carolyn Foote, a techno librarian and recipient of the ASL library collaboration award in 2019. They discuss the process of designing learning spaces in libraries, emphasizing the importance of starting with a clear mission and goals that impact student learning. Carolyn suggests conducting surveys to understand how students and faculty prefer to learn and suggesting using vision design boards to explore possibilities beyond traditional furniture. The conversation touches on the need for inclusivity in space design and the potential for rebranding the library to better align with its evolving role in education.
🛠 Reimagining the Library Space
This paragraph continues the discussion on library space design, focusing on the importance of involving stakeholders, such as students, teachers, and administrators, in the planning process. The dialogue highlights the value of having an advisory committee and the need for ample time to curate ideas, gather input, and create a vision that aligns with the district's mission and goals. The conversation also addresses the potential for rebranding the library and the various names and concepts being used in contemporary library spaces, such as Learning Commons, Research Centers, and more creative, student-voted names.
🌟 Envisioning the Future of Learning Spaces
The final paragraph of the script delves into the future of learning spaces, emphasizing the need for libraries to evolve beyond traditional roles to become hubs for research, learning, and creation. The discussion suggests that renaming a space is not enough; it's crucial to change how the space is used to truly benefit students. The conversation encourages media specialists and librarians to think innovatively about their spaces, ensuring they are dynamic environments that foster learning and creativity.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Learning Space Design
💡Techno Librarian
💡ASL Library Collaboration Award
💡Student Surveys
💡Inclusive Design
💡Vision Design Board
💡Library of the Future
💡Advisory Committee
💡Rebranding
💡Learning Commons
💡Rethinking Space
Highlights
The importance of starting learning space design with a clear mission and goals that impact student learning.
Suggestion to conduct surveys to understand how students and faculty learn and their preferences for study spaces.
The idea that learning spaces should be inclusive of people's needs and not just focused on furniture.
Encouraging open-ended questions to help envision possibilities beyond traditional library settings.
Using vision design boards with images to gauge student interest in various learning space elements.
The concept of asking students to design the library of the future to foster creative thinking.
Aligning library design with the district's mission and goals, focusing on connections between people and ideas.
The recommendation to have a vision casting period of a few months for proper planning and idea gathering.
The value of creating an idea book or a Pinterest page to curate design ideas that meet the set goals.
Involving stakeholders through an advisory committee to ensure a collaborative and inclusive design process.
The significance of rebranding and involving curriculum people in the space redesign process.
The shift in terminology from 'media centers' to 'learning spaces' and the use of creative names for library spaces.
The idea of having students vote on the names of different spaces within the library.
Examples of unique space names like 'the bat cave' and 'the shrieking shack' chosen by students.
The necessity of changing how a space is used and not just its name for effective redesign.
The emphasis on making learning spaces areas for research, learning, and even creation.
Transcripts
578 how to design learning spaces in
libraries the ten-minute teacher podcast
with Vicki Davis every weekday you'll
learn powerful practical ways to be a
more remarkable teacher today so I'm so
excited about our conversation today
karma Scardino a media specialist at my
school this is for you because you just
asked me about learning space design and
we have one of the experts with us
Carolyn Foote who is a techno librarian
she actually received an a ASL library
collaboration award in 2019 and her blog
is the not so distant future Carolyn
when someone's looking at space where do
we start when we talk about learning
space design well I think that and thank
you for having me I think the first
place to start is by figuring out what
you want to accomplish for students a
lot of times we start with the furniture
and we really need to start with our
mission and goals and how it impacts
student learning even in the library and
so usually I suggest that people do
surveys of their student body ask
questions about how they learn what
things about the library interests them
how they learn in general where they
like to study where they like to meet
where they like to work on the computer
and then also ask the faculty those same
kinds of questions so that when you're
starting to think about a space you're
being inclusive people's needs so let me
ask you this what if they don't know
what's possible I mean so many people
have seen libraries and they just think
that I have to sit in a regular
up-and-down chair and a regular table
and they don't know that so much more is
possible d is there still room past the
survey to say hey let's dream yes and
definitely that's why I suggested
surveys and David Jake's taught me this
as well to think about asking questions
that are very open-ended like where do
you like to learn what's the place you
feel more most comfortable when you're
learning or thinking
studying so that you know so you're
asking broad questions so they aren't
kind of held up by their picture of a
library but then I think that another
clever way to do this that I learned
from edge topia was doing like a vision
design board and we did when actually
physically in our library with those
trifold boards and then you can put
photographs on them of weigh out things
like robots or 3d printers or a chair or
a slide or you know anything you want
and then you give students colored dots
or sticky notes but they only get three
and then they put them by the things
that appeal to them and so you get a
sense of what things are attractive or
interesting to students that are maybe
you know not about again not so much
about furniture but more about programs
or ideas but you can do it very
open-ended too you can have pictures of
traditional looking things and modern
looking things or nature and not nature
so you're just trying to get a feel for
their taste their interests and then I
think really going back to the because
they aren't going to know I've had some
librarians in my district do an activity
where they have students design the
library of the future like you know 20
years out what could you do and the
students will say things like we have
robots that show the books and we have a
slide you know if you have some some
activity that ask them to really think
beyond I think that's very helpful
strategy as well but then I also think
it's important to look at your district
mission and goals and think about where
do those aligned with what libraries are
all about we're really all about
connecting people with people connecting
people with ideas and connecting people
with things that contain ideas or things
that help them generate ideas whether
those things the books computers you
know 3d printers other humans so we're
really about connections so thinking
about what our overall missions of the
space is oh that's fantastic so you're
really starting with some information
gathering
some conversations surveys some research
how long does this vision casting time
typically last when you're looking at
either renovating or creating a learning
space well hopefully you have a few
months to do it that's not always the
case sometimes you have you know someone
people come to you and you have they
have money and you've got two weeks but
often you have enough time to do some
planning so definitely a period of a
couple of months or longer because part
of the planning is also creating an idea
book or a Pinterest page now pulling
ideas yourself from things that you
think meet those goals and what students
were saying what teachers are saying
maybe you want to go look at other
library spaces or even like a think tank
space in your town or an art museum or
children's museum so you want to curate
a lot of ideas for yourself so you do
need to allow ample time for that whole
process to happen you may want to put
together an advisory committee with
stakeholders in a district or in the
school so the more lead time you can
take the better obviously but at least
here three months so you can gather all
this and and make something that you
know I'm making something that makes
sense for you well in isn't it also
about helping everybody get on board
because you know I found that change
that people are part of tends to be a
lot more positively received then change
that is forced on people that's exactly
right and that's why I think getting
student input teacher input or even
having like I said an advisory committee
or some sort of library you know rethink
the library group that comes together
periodically and Thaksin looks at all
the data really helps people feel
committed to the whole process sometimes
it involves rebranding you know entirely
so you may have curriculum people
involved from the district or your
principal or sometimes that depends on
how large your district is whether it
would be your principal or people
curriculum office if you're in a smaller
district but just having people involved
and helping you think about how are you
going to rebrand
because what happens is when you start
rethinking your space if you're really
wanting to turn things over a little bit
and hump over some traditions and look
at making things new that may affect
policies you have they may affect your
programs they may affect you know how
you work with teachers it's really good
to have more people involved so that how
depends on how extensive what you're
doing is but people get on board people
get excited about it in your community
tsunkat what big question I and I just
always have to ask this because you know
for a while everybody talked about
Learning Commons now you know it's
learning spaces library that term is not
used quite as much media centers not
used quite as much is there one term
that progressive maybe is specialists
kind of use now for their spaces is it
just called learning spaces now or what
I think Learning Commons is still being
used we call our library the research
center I think every broadened out that
so many people are coming up with
different titles for the space a lot of
them rotating around the Learning
Commons concept though where you're
trying to bring together ideally you're
designing a school you can bring
together the counselors and the tech
team all these people start surrounding
the library so everybody's kind of
working together so what are some of the
names you've heard I've heard library
incubator library Technology Center I've
heard Garza's Research Center I still
hear library media center a lot meilleur
Learning Commons and then you get cute
names the nook or book nook or the tree
house or you know names that people have
come up with at their particular
location that they've rebranded
sometimes people have students vote on
the name for the space we did that
within our library so some of our spaces
like our tech help area and cafe area
where students can eat as the juice bar
but it's because of electrical juices as
well as they can break in there you
know that was student voted on the
students came up with that so what are
the names of all the spaces in your
library
we have brainstorming room slash
computer lab areas are called the bat
cave and the shrieking Shack
so from Harry Potter and from Batman
students voted on both of those we have
the story bar and we have the juice bar
so the story bar is where you have the
books there's an area where books are
genre fide because we haven't John
referred our whole library so we did
that to our ninth graders because the
middle school Shawn resides so we have a
small area of genre five titles so
that's where they are yeah so we have
different areas of the students voted on
not like this
well you're such a great resource and I
know that media specialist librarians
would love to read your blog the not so
distant future Carolyn this is such an
exciting topic and just re-envisioning
what you're learning area can be that
has books and so many other things
thanks Carolyn thank you thanks for
having me and we've definitely gotten
some visionary topics for discussing
what's going on in your library or your
media center what types of things do you
want to see happening there should you
change the name but remember if you just
change the name and you don't change how
a space is used then it's just a window
dressing we actually want kids to be
researching and learning and sometimes
even making in our common media spaces
so how this conversations and discuss if
you need to recraft the vision for your
media center or your library
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