Throughout the semester I enjoyed learning about fresh perspectives on libraries and services today. I also particularly enjoyed considering everything from the perspective of my workplace. I’m a 6th-9th grade librarian at a 6th-12th grade school. We have two librarians, including me, and we’re both relatively new to our positions. Our library has been old fashioned (perhaps “traditional” is a kinder word to use) for so long and has definitely prioritized book storage over user experiences, research over joyful experiences in the space, and quiet over noise. The trouble is that learning can be noisy, especially when it involves tweens and teens! And learning in today’s world does not need to come from books; in fact, it is probably a disservice to our kids to limit them in that way. My takeaways come from the perspective of working at my school—I have my kids in mind when doing our coursework, and these takeaways reflect that. What I have taken from this course can be explored in my infographic and summed up in this way:
Libraries come from the heart, not from books. Libraries need to make space(s) for all kinds of users. And libraries need to look to the future.
