Learning Commons

York University Library’s Web site describes a Learning Commons as, “a dynamic, collaborative environment on campus, often physically in the library, that provides assistance to students with information and research needs.”* It provides a rich learning environment with space to study, technology and reference materials and sources and a staff committed to helping any student with reading, writing, research and learning needs. It sounds a lot like a library to me.

One reason Learning Commons are so popular is that instead a student having to go to many different teachers and getting help, a student can come to a Learning Commons and get help in any and all classes. If they need help in learning how to use a computer or how to do a research paper, they can go to one place and learn everything they need to succeed in class in one spot. “They are . . . popular because they facilitate a high level of collaboration among their partners, enabling them to reach more students, in a more effective manner.”* In order to have an effective Learning Commons, I believe that it should have an inviting atmosphere and a comfortable studying area,  plus up to date technology and materials, as well as a dedicated and knowledgeable staff. If you have those three things, then I believe it will be a place that students will want to come to and learn.

This is what I want my library to become—a Learning Commons. I want the students to feel like they can come and ask for help. I want them to get excited about learning new things. I want them to learn to become critical thinkers and problem-solvers.

I enjoyed reading all the different opinions on whether or not schools need libraries in the Brichacek article. We know that they do, but they might not look like the traditional school library. I personally believe that we need both--digital books and physical books. While I think it makes sense to purchase online encyclopedias and non-fiction materials since they can be easily updated, I still believe that physically holding a book can bring great joy and comfort to many readers. Not all students have easy access to computers at home, so it's important to provide physical materials they can use.  I also believe that we need to keep a physical space or library. It needs to be inviting. Students should be able to talk and laugh and share their thoughts and ideas and collaborate on research projects. I agree with Steve Covello's response in Andra Brichacek's article,  “Do schools still need-brick-and-mortar libraries?”  He said basically that libraries teach children skills for the real world—things like appropriate behavior, privacy issues and how to ask for help. I've learned from experience that if you don’t know how to find certain information, it’s helpful to have a real person to ask (Brichacek, 2009).

I really like what the librarian at St. Mark’s Catholic High School did with her library (Person, 2011). While I am not sure that I would get rid of 2/3 of my books, I sure would love to have more digital options in my library. I still think physical books are important to students, but so are digital alternatives. I would not allow eating, but I’m always telling my students that it’s fine for them to talk in normal voices. They don’t have to whisper. I encourage discussion between students but I also have an area where I maintain quiet for those who need to do some serious studying.

I understand why administrators are reluctant to allow students to download apps to their smart phones because they are afraid the students will be using their phones for other things, but if we take away the tabooness (I know it’s not really a word), then students might actually use their phones for research and reading. I believe that it is worth a try. Like Joyce Valenza says in her article, “A Revised Manifesto” I believe that the library should always be changing and growing. We don’t want to limit what our libraries should and could be. By offering many different options such as digital readers, ebook apps and more, we can excite students to learn and to read more (Valenza, 2011). By encouraging students to write their own blogs, we can help them develop good writing skills.

We could spend many hours discussing all the ways libraries need to change and grow and how they need to look, what they need to have to keep up with the changing times, but the one thing I think we can all agree on, and that is that they are still needed. They may not look like the libraries of old, but the focus is still the same—to excite children to read and learn and to equip them to be successful in the world.

*I’m not sure how to do a citation with just a Web site. In a paper with a citation from a book, you’d write the author’s name and the page number, but I don’t know about when it’s a Web site. I tried looking it up in the MLA Handbook but I didn’t find anything about just a Web site. So, here’s the URL for the article I looked up on Learning Commons. I hope this is what you were looking for. I was a little confused as to where you wanted us to find the information .

<(http://www.library.yorku.ca/ccm/Home/preview/infolit/commons/learning-commons.en>