Core Practices Support Digital Heartbeat of the LLC Rob Long
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s I sit (actually I stand, but that sounds wrong) to write this, a song popped into my head — Digital by Imagine Dragons “We are, we are the face of the future We are, we are the digital heartbeat We are, we are the face of the future We don’t wanna change, we just wanna change everything” Libraries, rooted in history and storming into the digital age we long for the paper pages, the touch and feel and smell of a tactile book. That has been something at the core of libraries for thousands of years — the storage of books, paper, scrolls and accumulated knowledge. Now, with the start of this new millennium, we have to drop all that. Are you crazy? We are not dropping all that. We are in a new place in our schools and in the roles staff play within a library learning commons. We are now in a digital future and will likely continue to be more deeply embedded in a digital space. The question is, are we the digital heartbeat? Can we be there supporting that digital environment? This question has become more relevant throughout the pandemic. With most schools experiencing periods of virtual access, what is the role of the LLC and those supporting it? The roles LLC staff played in the pandemic changed. Many teacher-librarians had to take on virtual classes; in some boards all library related connections were removed. For LLC technicians, many had to be even more involved in technology management, as schools went virtual and then came back in and went out again, on the pandemic technology rollercoaster. But now, what is the face of that future LLC and the staff supporting it? There is a lot to cover in that space so let’s focus a little. And let’s look at the boards that are creating permanent virtual schools. What might the role of an LLC technician be in that digital space? One thing is for sure, it is not going to be filled with paper! As we look at these new virtual schools, let’s also look back just a little. Start at the beginning. What was the vision for our technician role in an LLC coming into the pandemic and
30 Ontario School Library Association
now into virtual schools. This vision statement for L/LC’s was developed by the technicians at the Ottawa Catholic School Board. It is drawn from support for the six Cs within a Deep Learning framework and applied to a space that is an LLC. The original statement as it appears here was not developed with a virtual school in mind but the vision still applies.
OCSB LLC Vision Statement A learning commons is a physical, virtual and shared space, designed to encourage students to explore their environment and the world around them. The learning commons is an innovative centre offering students a place to engage, explore and collaborate with others. When you look at a vision statement like this and have it as a core to start from, it might be easier to see the transitional opportunities to support an LLC technician within a fully virtual environment. Let’s break it down further by category as outlined in the vision. What might a virtual LLC technician do:
The Core Practices Supporting The Six Cs Developing Literacies A primary function of the LLC is to support the school staff by promoting and developing literacy. The broader definition of literacy can and should include technological and cultural literacy. This is supported by ensuring that the content is available online.
Flexible Learning Spaces With learning spaces moving online this goal is still easily achieved. Promoting and sharing flexible learning spaces — online virtual field trips, Minecraft worlds, an LLC active online space with available virtual hours for library visits — is something that stays in scope.
Resources This one is obvious. Almost all boards support an array of online resources. An LLC tech does not need to be a master of supporting all pedagogy but being able to use the tools
