9 minute read
Upgrading your school library
Bailey Road School library, Whare Ahuru Mowai. Image courtesy of The National Library of New Zealand
By Heather Barker Vermeer
Industry Reporter The number of schools and teachers moving away from the traditional ‘sage on the stage’ classroom model and embracing the principles of personalised, fl exible learning, has prompted the role and function of the school library to evolve.
The library / learning hub / similar, is predominantly where the school’s fl exible learning initiatives, resources and environment will stem from. This area is oft en led by a schoolwide specialist in information resources, curriculum, and technology integration - the new, multi-purpose school librarian. They will be key in the process of leading and supporting the library’s evolutionary multi-functionality. Providing the best physical environment to accommodate the learning needs of students is a cornerstone of a school library’s existence, but where do you start on the path to library transformation?
Analyse your space, be fl exible
Take stock of your library’s layout and plan to maximise the space. It needs not only to be a welcoming environment for research and sourcing information, a place for students to sit comfortably and read, and a site of project collaboration and sharing. Shift s like moving rows of bookshelves to the periphery of the library to allow for fl exibility of fl oorspace and can create areas for desk-based learning, research, and comfortable reading. If your furnishings consist of standard fi xed-leg, bulky rectangular library tables, they’ll remain rooted to the ground or need to be moved, with diffi culty, to alter the confi guration of the space. Allow for fl exibility by opting for easily mobile items of furniture, stackable options and modular pieces that allow you to create a variety of confi gurations. Accommodate theatre-style set-ups for debates and video conferences with your layout. Furniture that is easy to re-confi gure will provide more scope for this.
Aesthetic improvement
An injection of colour is one way to make the library more appealing, through furniture items, soft furnishings, wall colour or an oft en-forgott en element, artwork. Inspire your students with prints of classic artworks that fi t your school’s values. Old photographs can inspire a sense of connected heritage and can provide uniquely special library embellishments, or select a mix of book cover poster art. Cull the clutt er. Keep on top of the quality of your library resources with an annual clear out of any resources or titles that are under-par. The nonfi ction collection will likely contain much information that is easily obtained online and could be removed to clear fl oorspace of shelving and cabinets. Weed out duplicate titles, tatt y publications, and out-of-date collections to create space for new.
Collaboration
Working with subject teachers to provide areas that they can use diff erently from their classroom spaces may encourage new users of your library facilities. A successful reorganisation of the library space should include the thoughtful creation of zones of use within the overall fl oorplan and subject teachers are best placed to advise what will suit their and their students’ needs.
Many school libraries choose to repurpose storage space previously used for AV equipment or reems of books, to make a green-screen room for use as a project-based learning space. This can increase use of the library subjects, att racting pupils and teachers across a broader range of subject to engage with the space for project work. Having activity zones and quiet zones help structure your space and aid diff erent work styles.
A sound environment
Libraries have acoustic demands oft en not considered in the design and construction process. These issues can include noise intrusion from exterior and interior sources such as aircraft and building mechanical systems, excess reverberation in public spaces, speech communication, and intrusion from potentially adjoining spaces, such as meeting rooms.
Architect: Architectus Design: Outline Design
St Kents Boys School, Auckland
Custom Etch™ in Silver overlaid on Quietspace® Panel
A is for acoustics
^Seep, Benjamin., Glosemeyer, Robin., Hulce, Emily., Linn, Matt., Aytar, Pamela. (2009) Classroom Acoustics - A Resource for Creating Learning Environments with Desirable Learning Conditions. Retrieved from Speech intelligibility is crucial to learning development. Studies^ show that students in classrooms with no acoustic treatment miss every fourth understand what is being taught. Autex Acoustics® are designed to control excessive noise and echo in classrooms, creating a balanced, peaceful, productive environment.
Image courtesy of Autex Industries and St Peters College Cranbourne
Wall-mounted acoustic panels let people in libraries have their peace and quiet by dampening, softening, and redistributing sounds. Unlike hard, reflective surfaces, acoustic panels can trap and contain sharp sound waves, reducing background noise and minimising echoes. Shelving can also be used to help block noise from more collaborative zones that might disturb a quiet study area. Position your cosy, quiet reading area away from the entrance and away from fiction collections, for example, where classes may often gather to enthusiastically choose books. Miriam Tuohy is the Senior Specialist of School Library Development at National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, and provided some top recommendations for schools ahead of any planned library transformation…
Include your school library team in the planning phase and visit other school library spaces for inspiration. Establish a project team that combines knowledge and experience in teaching and learning, architecture and design, and library development. Involve your school community in the process and keep everyone up to date as you go. They’ll be excited to see progress reports and the end results!”
Key trend: configuring zones
Mobile shelving, and furniture that’s easy to move, stack or compact, makes it simple to reconfigure the library as needed. For example, students can move soft seating such as beanbags or cushions to find a quiet reading spot or sit together to socialise. It’s also useful to position mobile shelving, moveable whiteboards, and screens to create spaces within the larger space such as quiet study or comfortable reading areas; or move everything aside to cater for activities or community events such as whānau hui, presentations, and performances. Another tip is to replace bulky fixtures—like a built-in circulation desk—with a smaller, mobile version that gives library staff flexibility within the space as the library evolves. Ideally, you’ll continue providing library access during a refurbishment but ask yourself three questions beforehand: 1. Can you organise or partition the library, so it can be used throughout the refurbishment while keeping staff, students, books, and equipment safe and secure? 2. Can you create a temporary library elsewhere in the school? Will you need to relocate or find extra shelving? Or store books, furniture, and equipment? 3. Will your staff need extra hours or support to adapt your existing library, create a temporary one, or set up the refurbished space when it’s ready? Rob Jones is Autex Acoustic’s Technical and Development Manager, and let us know the key acoustic recommendations for school library upgrades… Libraries are no longer just a place to find a book but increasingly function as multipurpose spaces. Group gatherings occur regularly and can include audio-visual events, and often occur alongside individuals studying and researching, making library acoustics more noticeable than ever.
As library use continues to diversify, their acoustic requirements will continue to complexify. For this reason, the placement and use of noise absorbing surfaces, ceiling structures, and absorptive furniture are important as they all work to help lower noise levels and attenuate noise flow via reflections. Soft floor coverings help reduce noise-flow too. Most importantly, however, acoustic planning and zoning is a key tool to help schools overcome acoustic challenges in relation to minimising noise disturbance. Zoning should consider how to
maximise distance between areas where group or collaborative activities will take place. Lowering the ceiling heights with highly absorptive ceilings helps create a more intimate area, so that individuals within a group can hear each other without needing to raise their voices. These systems oft en can be suspended from the existing structures meaning litt le site works and minimal disruptions. Furniture can also create barriers to reduce direct noise fl ow throughout the area. For retrofi t applications and the loss of dense bookshelves, wall surfaces can be treated with noise absorbing linings that doubleup as pinboards. Even old brick walls that refl ect most of the sound can be transformed into features with litt le building work. Heinz Woodman is a representative from Learning Spaces Global and spoke with us about emerging design trends… Design trends have changed the way indoor spaces work and a lot of research shows what benefi ts these changes may have to learning. One aspect is increased emphasis on collaboration and group study. Schools should choose diff erent shaped tables that can be separated or pushed together for diff erent sized groups, as well as smaller ott omans and sofas; all shelving and storage should be on castors to adapt the space to diff erent groups.
Biophilic design is increasingly popular as it brings the outside in by using plants and other natural elements. Plants can sit on top of furniture or along the walls. Plenty of large, open windows and doors also help fi ll the space with light and boost airfl ow too.
Creative spaces tap into the personality of each school: Why not replace a traditional bookcase with a large plywood tree for book storage, fabric and acoustic leaves intact? School libraries love to include a reading nook that students can curl up in with a book, squab seating beside a window, large fl oor cushions and comfortable rugs, as well as hanging acoustic shapes to reduce unwanted noise. There is no shortage of creative options.”
Need help creating your ideal library?
The National Library’s team of Capability Facilitators can help you create an exciting and engaging library space that your school community will love. Our service is free, and available nationwide.
Whether your plans are for a purpose-built library, a classroom conversion, or integration into a larger innovative learning environment, we can help you:
• fi nd inspiration, and create a vision for your school library
• involve the school community as you explore possibilities for your library • use our planning tools, resources and guidance including information about furniture, fi tt ings, and library technology. Developing your library environment and library services go hand in hand. To fi nd out more about how we can help you create a library space and services that support teaching and learning, reading for pleasure and wellbeing, get in touch!
For more information please call 0800 LIBLINE (0800 542 5463) or email schoollibraryadvice@dia.govt.nz
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