Five Design Feature Must Haves for My Library Learning Commons
Lori Jane Perdew, LIS 5240
I envision at least seven distinct areas of the library:
1) As you walk in the door, the first area would be the social networking area. It will have comfortable and colorful seating, arranged in little groups or clusters with small tables. All the furniture will be easy to move on the carpet. There will be some individual computers on casual tables so multiple students can congregate to play video games or do other things. I would love to have a designated space within this space for a Wii system. I still don’t think that I would allow food and drink in this space. I would also provide a few cushy chairs with built in mini tabletops for students to use individually for laptop or reading use.
2) The second area would be the group work stations. Again, this would still be casual. I think I would have a few booths with tables (all on wheels) and some sled type chairs and tables. This area is where small groups of students can gather and work on projects with or without their teachers. There will be a lot of outlets and floor boxes to hold cables and provide outlets to all students and their laptops or to the computers provided in the library. The furniture here would be more grouped together to create areas where at 4 or more students (up to about twelve or so) would be able to work together on projects.
3) I would definitely want an area where things like special events, lectures, and presentations can be held and larger classes can come to work and collaborate. This area would have removable walls so it can be made as large or as small as is needed. I would have comfortable sled chairs and some foldable tables, so if there is a need for laptops or other computers, then the tables can be arranged. I would definitely not have just rows of desks and chairs. I would like to have at least one wall as a white board wall, where students can work on problems and leave there for someone else to continue.
4) I would also have a multimedia lab where students and teachers can film and/or edit film and also learn how to use the equipment. This would be a separate area with removable walls or glassed in so I could see if the students needed help with anything. I would definitely want some type of walls.
5) I would have a computer lab with computers/laptops so teachers could bring groups down to work on projects. Like the multimedia lab, it would have some type of walls. I think I would probably have glass walls and a door to the corridor so the teacher could bring the students directly into the computer lab without having to go through the library.
6) I would also have a small area designated as the study area where there would be small alcoves with the chairs mentioned above that have the tables attached. This would be a place for students who need to come to the library to work and study individually and who prefer a quiet environment.
7) I would still like to have a service desk and a workroom/storage area. The service desk would have a computer and chair, but I wouldn’t want it too big, as I would hope that I or my aide would be able to take turns roaming around and checking to make sure no one needs help. I would like an area where we could repair books and store expensive equipment. I would like to have both wire and wireless internet access throughout the library learning commons.
So, the five significant design features must be: casual, comfortable furniture that can be moved or folded; removable walls; tons of outlets and floor boxes to hold cables; lots of color (not necessarily a lot of different colors, but not a lot of white, beige or institutional green); and low and high technology—white boards, e readers, lots of computers/laptops, mobile devises, whatever is needed to inspire creativity and collaboration.
I would still have books in my library (mostly fiction), but I would have the shelving units on wheels and not really tall (unless against the wall). I think the biggest thing is to provide a welcoming, comfortable working and socializing environment that is very flexible and fluid. Then, I think, the library learning commons can and will be “the place to be.”
Works Cited:
“Habits and Habitats: Introducing the IDEA.” Online Posting. YouTube, 4 Feb 2011. Web. 24 Jun 2011.
“JISC-Libraries of the Future.” Online Posting. YouTube, 29 Jun 2009. Web. 24 Jun 2011.
McMullen, Susan. “U.S. Academic Libraries: Today’s Learning Commons Model.” PEB Exchange (2008).
“The Collaborative Learning Commons Video.” Online Posting. SchoolTube, 5 Jun 2011. Web. 24 Jun 2011.
I like the idea that your social area is as you walk in. You would want to keep the area separated from research areas. Also, better for control -- always a big issue.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm absolutely with you on the strong colors -- no beige for me.