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Learning Commons: How Technology is Changing 21st-Century Library Design

Michelle — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 19:47:12 +0000

The rise of digital technology and innovative new approaches to education have given rise to a new sort of library: the learning commons.

To adapt to the changes brought on by the rise of digital technology and 21st-century learning principles, an evolution in library design and space planning, ranging from furnishings and architecture to culture and purpose, has also gradually occurred. Schools around the United States and the world are beginning to transform their libraries from being silent temples to hold collections of books and reference materials into multi-use learning commons spaces, which are intended to be hubs of creativity and marketplaces of ideas. Along with technological change, this relatively new trend comes as a reaction to rapid changes user needs.

Many schools have already transitioned their outdated libraries into learning commons, which can be defined as a full-service learning, research, and student-centric collaborative project space. In a learning commons, students can work independently or in groups in planned learning zones that isolate activities, such as individual study or social learning where students are encouraged to interact with each other.

From Isolation to Collaboration

With the exception of the student who needed a quiet or alternative location to study, late 20th century libraries were still primarily used by students as resource centers to get what only what was needed for a project and leave. Only recently has the philosophy of today taken over--that libraries should offer both quiet and collaborative learning opportunities along with access to cutting-edge technology and, in some cases, even food. According to Loyola Dean of Libraries Robert A. Seal, “Books, articles and conference papers in most of the 20th century reflected a philosophy that library space should be designed by and for librarians. User needs, while recognized, often came second.” In the case of a learning commons, the user needs come first and, in an ideal space, the design and furnishings reflect that attitude.

As a 20th century student, going to the library typically meant silently studying books and other printed materials on your own, but over time, librarians began to see usage decrease as students opted instead for studying in spaces such as coffee shops or bookstores that offered comfortable chairs, refreshments and more opportunities to collaborate. Only the libraries designed to imitated these spaces geared towards 21st-century learners saw attendance and usage rise.

Designing a Learning Commons or 21st Century Learning Environment?

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Furnishing the Future

When it comes to the process of planning and designing a learning commons, there are a lot of moving parts, but arguably one of the most important elements of the design process is how you decide to furnish it. After all, modern students have modern needs. A 21st-century student might be conducting research, studying, surfing the web, and talking to classmates--all at the same time. This would be very difficult to accomplish, if not impossible if the student was isolated in a study cube in a silent 20th-century style library. He or she would be more successful in a more dynamic learning commons environment, which could be adapted to suit their needs. Simply put, successful 21st-century learning necessitates 21st century furniture. Furniture now plays an active role in the learning process. It can make or break the student’s ability to adapt to different learning situations or effectively collaborate with his or her peers.

In 2012, Groveland Elementary in Minnetonka, MN transformed their outdated library into a modern learning commons to help students collaborate and easily share their work with one another. Key to the success of Groveland’s library redesign was updating the furnishings. The goal was to create a student-centric learning environment with the optimal space needed for collaborative work. In fact, Groveland cared so much about making the space student-centric that they went as far as collecting feedback from 5th graders, who suggested a “reading by the lake” theme, which was incorporated into the final design.

The school carefully designed the new learning commons with multi-use furniture, modifiable learning spaces and mobile computing in mind. For example, confining shelving to the perimeter of the commons allows for central areas to be filled with adaptable furniture easily configurable to meet a wide range of student and faculty needs. In the large group area, there is flexible lounge seating to encourage creativity and critical thinking skills. Similarly, to help students stay engaged and be productive, all of the furniture is ergonomically designed to support active learning.

According to Groveland’s principal David Parker, transitioning from an old fashioned library to a new learning commons revitalized their space and invigorated students and faculty:

Learning Commons Challenges

While there are many educational benefits to transforming a traditional library into a learning commons, there are also a few challenges:

Looking Forward

To remain useful, a learning commons must be able to adapt to the evolving needs of students and technology. For example, mobile use, 3D display, and gesture-based computing are on the rise. Consequently, this means that commons spaces will eventually need to integrate even more cutting-edge technology into their processes. It will certainly be a challenge for learning commons to keep up with the pace of technological advancement, however, it is also an opportunity for schools to get students even more engaged and facilitate even greater collaboration.

It’s also important to remember that, although commons are student-centric spaces, they benefit the entire community. It gives faculty members much more flexibility when scheduling activities because everything is centralized to one adaptable space that can accommodate a wide variety of student needs. Lastly, and arguably most importantly, learning commons benefit students by allowing them to forge their own approach to their work and by giving them the tools and resources they need--computers, room to collaborate, research resources and anything else they need to complete a project successfully and genuinely learn something in the process.

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Works Cited

"7 Things You Should Know About the Modern Learning Commons." 7 Things You Should Know About the Modern Learning Commons. Educause, 11 Apr. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.
"Active Learning Classrooms." Active Learning Classrooms. University of Minnesota. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.
"Groveland Elementary School, Learning Commons." Groveland Elementary School, Learning Commons. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.
"Learning Commons." Learning Commons. Groveland Elementary School. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.
"Library Redefined." Library Redefined - Research Herman Miller. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.
Seal, Robert. "Library Spaces in the 21st Century--Meeting the Challenges of User Needs for Information, Technology, and Expertise." Loyola ECommons. 1 July 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.

What Do Students Want in a 21st Century School Library?

Andy — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 13:01:34 +0000

Here’s a sure fire way to put students to sleep. Have them take turns reading dictionary definitions for “library.” Case in point, Merriam-Webster says “a place where books, magazines, and other materials (such as videos and musical recordings) are available for people to use or borrow.” While respectable, it’s not exactly the stuff that gets today’s techno and social savvy K-12 students revved to learn.

Design trends for 21st Century classrooms – and school libraries in particular – have moved away from such simplistic definitions.

This is due, in part, to student involvement in the planning process. While it’s essential to gather library staff and faculty input, students will be the largest stakeholders. Here’s how to cull their youthful insights.

Know Your Audience

Before you dive into student focus groups or school surveys, get a good sense of what questions to ask. Observe student behaviors both individually and in groups within the library. Ask library staff for their observations, too. Also do some research, especially around understanding the impact of technology on student use of library spaces.

For example, Pew Research Center’s “Teens and Technology 2013” report offers golden insight into how that demographic is accessing information. Here are just a few results of the Center’s recent national survey of 802 teens ages 12 – 17:

Another Pew Research Center study from 2012 asked over 2,000 middle and high school teachers how teens do research in the digital world. When asked which online activities [teachers] have students engage in, 95 percent of teachers surveyed reported having students “do research or search for information online,” making it the most common online task.

Convey How Important Student Input Is

Once you’ve done your research, let your questions reflect it. Speak in their language. Reassure them that you value and will consider their suggestions (within reason). For example, does their heavy technology use mean your library has to be techno central? Well, yes, according to Margaret Sullivan, a designer of school libraries.

She wrote a great article titled “How to Create the 21st Century School Library of Your Dreams” in the April 2011 issue of School Library Journal. She says, “Limited [electrical] outlets will also control how a space is used in the future. Laptops and handheld devices, visual and audio tools, printers, interactive whiteboards, and multimedia equipment are evolving at an incredibly quick pace—and sooner or later, most of them will need to be recharged. So give your students and staff a break and buy some eight-outlet power sources that can sit, within arm’s reach, in the center of a configuration of tables or amongst lounge chairs.

But Sullivan also advocates for traditional print materials, a fundamental library resource, especially in schools that don’t have a computer for every student. “Take a tip from Barnes & Noble. Make your books and magazines more attractive (and more visible!) to students by taking advantage of displays, mobile fixtures, signage, and lighting. ” 3 That means fewer bookshelves that tower from floor to ceiling and more student-friendly, mobile storage options. Consider easy access book trucks, browser bins and magazine displays on casters. These work for all ages and heights.

Be Familiar with Current Trends in Library Design

Have a good sense of where school library design is headed and what works specifically for the K-12 environment. All research points to creating K-12 libraries that are energetic, inviting space filled with students who are busy gathering information and exchanging ideas. Physically speaking, that means doing away with dim lighting, low ceilings, subdued ambiance, institutional furniture, closed-off spaces and obstructed views. But don’t confuse a school library with a public or collegiate one. Going so far as installing a café may muddy your library’s role in learning.

A quick online search can offer many trend insights. “12 Major Trends in Library Design,” an article by Thomas Sens published in a 2009 issue of Building Design and Construction is still relevant today. He says, “While the internet can provide 24/7 access to information, it can also isolate learners. The new … library model provides a forum for students to collaborate, enjoy fellowship, engage in healthy debate, create and challenge ideas, and experience learning and discovery in a multitude of meaningful ways.”

Finally, Ask Students!

There are many ways to get student input on library designs. Be sure to include all ages and types of learners, not just the extroverts eager to shout their ideas. Consider town hall-style meetings, student focus groups and student representation on advisory councils. Ask student government and other student groups who use the library before or after school. Send out a survey or ask for written responses by a certain deadline. Invite them to look at Pinterest boards and share visual ideas. Offer incentives for replies.

What You Might Hear

The Council of Educational Facilities Planners International (CEFPI) recently hosted a webinar on library design for 21st century learners. Here are some quotes from kids who answered the question, “What would an ideal library look like?”

A Final Thought

Based on what designers are hearing and builders are building, is it time to retire the word “library” (liber is Latin for “book”) entirely? Some schools have, opting instead for “information commons.” One thing’s for sure. If you ask students, they’ll likely have an opinion waiting for a listener.

Sources

www.pewinternet.org/2013/03/13/teens-and-technology-2013/
www.pewinternet.org/2012/11/01/how-teens-do-research-in-the-digital-world/
Sullivan, Margaret, “How to Create the 21st Century School Library of Your Dreams.” School Library Journal, April 2011.
Sens, Thomas, “12 Major Trends in Library Design.” Building Design and Construction (online) (Dec. 1, 2009).
Council of Educational Facilities Planners International (CEFPI), “Library Design for 21st Century Learners.” Presenters Sean Conner, AIA, and Carolyn Foote. Originally published April 22, 2014.

Should Schools Offer Tinkering 101?

laurag — Thu, 19 May 2011 21:09:38 +0000

Our ability to tinker was a cornerstone of American ingenuity and invention. I haven’t thought about those kinetic learning skills in a long time. In a recent conversation with educational expert David Warlick, he brought up tinkering as an active learning tool and I had to mull over the concept, its history and its possibilities.

Listen to a humorous YouTube video by Gever Tulley on the 5 dangerous things you should let your kids do. Most involved tinkering; taking things apart with tools, even power tools. But who in their right mind would allow that to happen today?

Tulley’s argues we all should. He offers a summer camp called the Tinkering School and that is what children do at his camp; they take radios, toasters and other electrical appliances apart just to see how they work. And an even more remarkable experience is The Exploratorium in San Francisco, a museum of science, art, and human perception which specializes in visitors tinkering. Their mission is a concise statement of what every educational experience should include:

“We believe that following your curiosity and asking questions can lead to amazing moments of discovery, learning, and awareness, and can increase confidence in your ability to understand how the world works. We also believe that being playful and having fun is an important part of the process for people of all ages.”

In learning environments today I do see some classes focused on a form of “tinkering”, they are usually computer based and found in middle schools. Frequently the tinkering is around students building robots. The objectives are straightforward: “By building robots you will learn about mechanics, electronics, computers and programming. You will also learn problem solving skills, research skills and how to deal with frustration.” These are all critical skills and as I have observed these computer lab classes, the students are focused, motivated and eager to make their robots function. Computer robotics courses come with lesson plans to make this structured type of tinkering easier to launch.

But how about a class focused on just tinkering; just using your mind and hands to create? What if the projects where not derived from a computer but you merely engaged technology as another creative learning tool? Could innovative classrooms take a lesson from the Exploratorium and simply provide a learning space and materials to let minds explore, question, create and build? The answer is yes and there are active learning classrooms scattered around the country, which are already engaged in this learning initiative. Active learning classrooms are emerging in K-12 classrooms as well as on college campuses. I believe active learning classrooms will become the classroom of the future.

Active learning and studio classrooms don’t have a front; their focus is usually a busy center. The center can hold project tables, computer stations or other shared resources. Classroom furniture moves easily to configure into the current learning activity. The walls feature whiteboards, projectors and screens, or flat screen monitors so students can see, hear, and interact with the content being studied. Collaborative space is clustered around the room in small team settings. These are not special labs or art rooms; they are active classrooms in which students of any age move freely into shared, hands-on learning experiences. Many are project based learning environments with a primary focus on technology as a learning tool. However, these learning environments can just as easily morph into a fourth grade classroom studying western expansion, building railroads through mountain passes on project tables while cultivating prairie grasses on a patio extension to the studio.

Studio classrooms connect active learners to a mix of learning styles but they always include hands-on creation. The active learning space supports building, dismantling, experimentation, trial and error, personal reflection and group collaboration. It is a flexible space that students and teacher shape to fit their learning styles.

On college campuses these tinkering spaces are housed frequently in Innovation Centers where students become entrepreneur as well. Engineering schools, like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have been encouraging undergraduates to use lathes, laser cutters, and welding equipment driven by computers to create while they learn. Business and medical schools are also involved in supporting active student learning through tinkering with their ideas in studios designed to foster creative solutions. The sharing of tools and technology make these higher education facilities a cost effective think tank for new business development.

So whether students are in grade school or graduate school the ability to tinker, to learn while creating is an exciting way to engage and challenge students. Building classrooms as studios, active learning environments is a new concept based on a tradition of tinkering.

Reference material:

"http://www.exploratorium.edu/about/." Exploratorium . N.p., 2011. Web. 29 Mar. 2011.
"Robotics Department ." www.hobbyengineering.com. , 10 Mar. 2011. Web. 29 Mar. 2011.
"Gever Tulley 5 dangerous things you should let your kids do." www.TED.com. TED , Dec. 2007. Web. 29 Mar. 2011.
"Gever Tulley teaches life lessons through tinkering ." www.TED.com. N.p., June 2009. Web. 29 Mar. 2011.
Lahart, Justin. "Tinkering Makes Comeback Amid Crisis." Wall Street Journal 13 Nov. 2009. Web. 29 Mar. 2011.

Q&A on Specifying Library Furniture

laurag — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 22:47:18 +0000

The 21^st Century library is an essential learning environment where students can gather, research, study and collaborate.

Today, Margaret “Peg” Sullivan shares key things to think about when specifying furniture for a library environment. An industry voice for 21st Century libraries, Peg is the driving force behind Smith System’s expanded library furniture offerings.

When specifying library furniture, what is the first element that should be determined?

First, listen carefully to school administrators to understand all the roles the library will play in the new school. Today school libraries are even more complex than in previous generations because of all the technology integration.

School libraries should invite students to come in, offer a diverse selection of resources, and make those resources available in a comfortable, flexible environment. The library will also host parent, faculty, board, and community meetings. Aesthetically pleasing, this space usually enjoys a prominent location, high visibility, and a lot of traffic.

Every one of these considerations has a cost, and those costs have to be managed. Prior to bidding a school library, a clear budget should be established and everyone should agree on specification requirements and compromise points. District decision-makers shouldn’t be forced into accepting whatever the “low bid” is at the end of the process simply to save money; that strategy usually results in a mediocre library that cannot support programs and services.

Realistic compromises made early in the process can generate an affordable specification package. Understand all the library requirements, and suggest alternative solutions and furnishings to meet the school’s needs while adhering to their budget.

What are the most commonly overlooked aspects of specifying school libraries?

The most overlooked aspect of a library is the need to access power easily. Unfortunately, a floor plan and furniture selection can be completely dictated by where the electrical outlets are in a library.

All too often the power outlets are on the exterior walls. Frequently, the outlets are hidden behind shelving units so they can be extremely awkward to access.

The issue is exasperated now with the need to plug in laptops and other computer or electronic equipment throughout the space. Floor outlets are a significant improvement but they still can require students and staff to crawl under tables to access power.

Or new line places power at students' fingertips. The power module has outlets at seating height and allows students to position soft seating or personal tables around the power source. It is also a convenient way to access power for multimedia projects and other presentation equipment.

Q&A on “21st Century Libraries”

laurag — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 09:03:51 +0000

An industry voice for 21st Century libraries, Margaret “Peg” Sullivan is the driving force behind Smith System’s expanded library furniture offerings. Since joining the company in March as library marketing and sales manager, Peg has worked with Smith System designers to translate student, librarian and administrator needs for flexibility, comfort, mobility and technology integration into what will be a comprehensive library furniture line.

We asked Peg what constitutes a 21st Century library environment, and its relationship to the 21st Century classroom.

How are the furniture needs of 21^st Century K-12 classrooms and libraries similar?

Conceptually, the furniture in the classroom and the library has similar design considerations.

Furniture should meet GREENGUARD for Children and Schools Certification. Furniture should be scaled appropriately for the age and size of the students using it so it is ergonomically correct.

In the classroom as well as the library students want to work together or independently. And in both locations there are reasons to create personal, quiet spaces for a student or larger open space for collaboration on projects. Furniture needs to be flexible enough to accommodate either need.

Many classrooms choose to house a small collection of books or offer access to computers. Most classrooms have whiteboards and presentation equipment or large monitors for classroom viewing. These are also furniture considerations for the library.

The difference comes in scope of resources, number of students, their learning objectives, and visibility of the space. The sum of all these issues requires a library to be furnished with its own unique furniture line. The complexity of a library space comes in creating a floor plan that allows multiple classrooms of students to work independently or in small groups. They need to be able to move between print and electronic resources seamlessly. They need instructional space to design information search strategies and the space to execute those searches plus create the content that reflects their understanding. Well designed library programs serve every student in the school so it is a space with high value, high usage which also most express warmth, openness and a sense of the learning community.

When specifying furniture for a 21^st Century school library, what are the key points to consider?

A school library can easily be “over” specified. It is tempting to fill the space with heavy tables, chairs, and shelving to the point where it becomes difficult to navigate. The space needs to be flexible. Find out how many classrooms of students will be in the library at one time and how many additional students will simply come in with passes during a period. Allow space for students to move around, reconfigure the tables and chairs as required, and don’t specify chairs that weigh more than the students moving them. In early elementary environments, children like to sit on the floor in groups for storytelling or informal reading. Make sure there is a way to create floor space for spontaneous use. And remember that learning the art of reading is a primary goal in the library, so provide students with a comfortable spot to read.

Put in enough shelving to accommodate the opening collection and about 30 percent growth. Rows of empty shelves are a terrible waste of space, plus, what if shelving requirements decrease over time? Quality library shelving can always be added on if the need surfaces five years down the road. And the emphasis should be on quality shelves; library shelves mostly are rigid with minimal flex. Shelves that flex or require a librarian to annually turn should never be allowed in a school library. Also, know what the seismic requirements are in your region. Merchandising the collection is more important than warehousing it, so specify shelving features that make the collection easy to browse for students of all ages.

Another key issue to remember is that a school library is also a teaching space. Librarians are teachers and you have to provide age appropriate space for them to instruct and work with students.