A Learning Commons Journey: 10 year transition
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In March 2018, the construction of a new Mazenod College Library was completed as part of a senior school building project. This presentation charts our journey as the Library Team through that 10 years which involved an interim refurbishment, then a complete new building. It is as much about the ability of the Library Team to be part of a vision and understand the philosophy of Learning Commons and envisage a different, positive future for the role of the Library within the College. It's as much about the people as the paint and furniture. (Notes included on this presentation)
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A Learning Commons Journey: 10 year transition
- 1. A Learning Commons Journey: Ten year transition Camilla Elliott Head of Library and Digital Learning Mazenod College, Mulgrave SLAV Conference 15 August 2018
- 2. Learning Commons vs Information Commons vs Library Commons vs iCentre
- 4. Learning Commons Library as Third Space - • Character is determined by its regular clientele • is marked by a playful [yet studious] mood • contrasts with more serious involvement in other spheres of school
- 5. Vision based on 21st century society Belief in shared responsibility Commitment to personal growth Library Team 2.0
- 7. Cultures do not change by mandate but by the specific displacement of existing norms, values, structures and processes Cultural change depends on modelling new values and behaviours that you expect to displace the existing ones. Elmore 2004
- 8. Change is a process, not an event: it is a journey into uncharted territory. Fullan 1993
- 9. Quantity can be an indicator of adequacy but it does not indicate quality AASL 2009 School Library Guidelines
- 10. Discuss with Principal, Leadership & Teachers Envisage possibilities Learning Commons – Initial Steps Forward Enable Library team Identify core learning partnerships Establish a plan Review resources – physical, virtual, personnel Consolidate, introduce, change practice Assess progress, review constantly
- 11. Vision Statement To be a launching place for learning. A place where cultural, social, and intellectual exchanges occur; often mediated by, but not limited to, the resources in the library collection; a space defined by the social mood, cultural and civic expression, and the intellectual values of the school community.
- 12. Stage 2 – New look
- 13. Stage 2 – New look
- 14. Stage 2 – New look
- 15. Maker Activities Meeting Sharing Discussing Belonging • iSupport Student Tech Team • Gaming – Minecraft • Kerbal Space Program • Augmented Reality – iPads • Lego + Little Bits + Coding • Chess • Book Club
- 16. New Library plan moved into March 2018.
- 20. Now incorporating…… • Archives • Careers • Evening Study Hall Broader Role
Editor's Notes
- This journey started in 2010, the year I commenced as Head of Library at Mazenod College. Mazenod is a Catholic boys college located in the Melbourne’s south eastern suburbs. It’s been a three part journey The library tucked away on the southern edge of the school property, typically 1970s design. Brown carpet, brown timber wall panelling. A well used library, good learning but ready for a revamp. Stage 2 – a budget refurbish to tidy it up to last another 6-7 years – Spend $82,000 Stage 3 – a new principal and new perspective of the importance of the library which accelerated us into the building of the new VCE complex. We moved into the new building March this year. I had a voice with architect and principal and brought Kevin Hennah in to consult on the design.
- What’s in a name? From the beginning of this journey, we have been called Library --- with a philosophy of Learning Commons. My title is Head of Library. However the concept and philosophy of Learning Commons informs our role in the school, our planning and vision. I first became interested in the concept of Learning Commons in 2008 through the work of David Loertcher (USA) and Carol Koechlin of Canada. It lead to me writing a series of articles for SLAVs Synergy publication in 2010-2011.
- If you don’t have a stated vision, you have no roadmap to work to. You are just travelling without defined direction. It is a difficult enough job with a roadmap, it is directionless if library workers don’t understand the big picture. Our initial vision was based on the notion of ‘Library in the life of the user”. We flipped the model and proceeded to see the library through their eyes.
- Library as Third Space means this space is ---- not classroom and not home but that other space where you can still learn, explore, meet with friends. Learning Commons removes the idea of the Library staff owning the Library. It recognises the library as place, an environment that enhances social interaction and cross-disciplinary learning outside the classroom. It means removing all the do/don’t instructional signs, putting chess and other games out where students can easily get them, setting up a print centre around the photocopies where students (and staff) can manage their own printing, pasting, cutting etc. It opens access-------- based on an expected level of behaviour. (That can be the hard part but behaviour management must be constant and consistent). Today’s students are the first generation to be generally speaking, greater producers than consumers of content. Libraries are a place where they can do that. The Learning Commons is potentially their free learning space.
- Whilst the Head Of Library may drive the vision, achievement is dependent on acceptance and cooperation of the Library Team. This foundation is critical and comes before choosing furniture and colour schemes. This process took approximately 18 months and involved staff changes. Introduction of professional reading, skill building and regular visits to other libraries. An understanding that the success of the library is the responsibility of every individual working in it.
- We raised the professional profile of the library staff. They took on a commitment to professional learning. We discuss this learning at regular Monday morning staff meetings. Workstations were professionalised. We removed the ‘household kitchen’ environment from the library workroom. We reviewed our skill building. This process continues. All ‘staff’, whether professional, paraprofessional, or voluntary, comprise an instructional team that delivers help formally and informally, in direct or indirect ways at points of need. Carol Gordon ‘Busy work’ was identified and eliminated. Tasks had to earn for their place in the daily schedule.
- Understanding Change Management. You cannot force change, you have to understand it, believe in it, model it. Know what you are changing to and why. This takes time and regular communication between staff but change must have a visible identity and a conversation around it.
- Canadian, Michael Fullan has been supporting Principals and education departments worldwide to implement change in education for decades. Many others have joined him over the years. He was an early voice.
- For most of four decades, library program standards have taken a quantitative approach to ‘measuring’ the library’s inputs. Facility has been measured by square footage or how many people could be seated in the library. The number of volumes in a library collection or the average copyright date has been a typical measure of the collection. Similarly, the number of professional full-time library staff, the size of the budget, and the number of classes taught have been measures of school library capacity to deliver programming and services. We have used the ASLA publication ‘Learning for the Future’. That time has changed with the changed funding model for school library services in Australia. We are now more fully integrated into the whole school and must plan accordingly. We still need Library standards but to mandate a teacher-librarian in every school, in my opinion, is not reality. So many professional library staff are sitting on outdated qualifications and calling themselves TLs – refer to the recent ’VIT Standards and Teacher librarian practice ALIA document’. http://www.alia.org.au/sites/default/files/VIT.Standards.and_.TL_.Practice.pdf
- The way forward. Where do we go from here. Library staff must have ownership. Change management learning. Review of all tasks. Elimination of Busy Work. This is the process I defined while planning and working through the change over 10 years. The last one is the most important.
- Our Vision statement is drawn for the work of Mardis. We are a Meeting place for like minds, Comfort zone Place to ‘be yourself’ Share ideas & interest Explore with peers
- Fabric shelf bay ends were flipped over and painted bright colours Table tops replaced with white. Wheels added to fiction shelving by Maintenance Dept. Bi-fold glass doors installed to create flexible teaching space Removed computer lab and installed mobile computing. New carpet and paint. Timber paneling painted over with white paint. New circulation desk, new furniture in staff workroom, new HOL office. Book stock weeded, weeded, weeded, weeded and weeded. Moved away from windows. Bright and light. Planned for 18 months. Completed over Christmas break.
- We now had a Flexible Area to do other activities. More successful teaching spaces. We went from no enclosed spaces to two.
- Since moving in, more shelving has been included. More seating. Everything moves on wheels.
- Work on the Richard Branson Principle – when someone offers you an opportunity, say ‘yes’ and work out the detail later. Library is now houses other departments. Host breakfast events and faculty staff meetings. Areas are sought after so we have gone from being busy during recess and lunch, before and after school to being used most of the day. Behaviour management is important. Seen as a beneficial working space for classes.
- Value the team. Head of Library does not run the library alone, every member of the team must respond to the initial Library Team 2.0 model and stay with it. HOL must delegate, distribute responsibility, share. Make it important to be informed through regular library meetings – weekly (20-30 minutes - positive ways forward). Share information regarding budgets etc. Build ownership. Involvement in celebration events. Library Team building is a story for another day.
- This has been a School Library journey. School Library with a philosophy of Learning Commons to guide. We are at the beginning of this next leg of our journey. The physical is now in place but we have much more to do to stay abreast of digital resourcing and the curriculum. We have a vision, a roadmap and we keep abreast of the professional literature.