What will my school library look like in the future?

What is the fundamental purpose of a school library? 

Wikipedia’s definition: "A school library is a library within a school where students, staff,

and often, parents ... have access to a variety of resources.“

The UNESCO School Library Manifesto is also valid: “The school library provides

information and ideas that are fundamental to functioning successfully in today’s

information and knowledge-based society.”Will the school library of tomorrow fit these descriptions? Yes, I believe it will, but I also believe that it will be a place of interaction,

where learning is “cool”.  

Resources

Information: School libraries have always been filled with resources, available to all within the school community. For those seeking information, the new library will have very few reference books, maps and atlases but will have a multitude of computer stations as the dominant source of information will be the world wide web. The number of information sites will continue to grow and both teachers and students will use the internet to gather facts, figures and other reference data. Encyclopedias and atlases will become inadequate as the internet will provide up-to-date data about our ever - changing world.

Resources for pleasure • Books (fiction), once considered

the “heart” of the library, are also important resources as they help us relax and escape into wonderfully written stories that capture our imaginations. The book will continue to be an important part of the library, but will be offered in more than one form: bound copies of paper (which many find comforting and tactile) or ebooks (electronic books offered on a hand held digital device). I believe that there will be room on the library shelves for both.

Knowledge Management (Knowledge management , in this case, will be defined as how students manage the information (knowledge) offered in the digital world.)

Given that the internet will be the primary source of information, the supervision of this tool will become part of the teacher – librarian’s job description. We will need to promote computer literacy as well as digital citizenship.

Knowledge Management(computer literacy)

In The School Library Journal (June 2007), Joyce Valenza makes a number of valid points and I find they fit into this component of the future library …

• Teachers will be “… concerned that when it matters, your students move beyond information satisficing. They make solid information decisions.”

• Teachers will be “… concerned about a new digital divide. Those who can find quality information in all media formats effectively, and those who cannot.”

Valenza points out the need to teach students how to be selective when looking for information, to question what they read. Critical thinking skills will be necessary in order to create a productive learning atmosphere. This is a case of quality versus quantity and is a “must” in a knowledge based world.

Knowledge Management(digital citizenship)

The International Society for Technology in Education lists digital citizenship in its mandate: “Students (will) understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.” As educators, our role in creating responsible digital citizens will be crucial. The internet can be a very diverse world filled with many temptations, both good and bad. “ Schools have the opportunity to play a key role in the development of new citizenship for physical and virtual communities. Schools should engage in a discussion about identity, privacy, ownership, credibility, and reputation that engages teachers, administrators, parents, and students as a first step down this road.” (The 2009 Horizon Report K12 Edition)

The Digital Citizenship website offers guidelines on the appropriate use of technology and the teacher – librarian will use sites like this to educate her students (as well as parents). There will be new skills to teach!

InteractionIf used effectively, the

internet will offer a very productive interactive learning environment; a world where sharing and collaboration are at your fingertips. On-line learning, blogging, Twitter and various social networking sites will continue to thrive and add a dynamic dimension to the school library. Bringing

students with common interests together to collaborate and share ideas will be very common in the future and add a new dimension to the practice of teacher-librarianship. Interaction is a way of “engaging” students and, I believe, when they are “engaged”, they will learn.

InteractionImagine this…

• Virtual classrooms where interaction creates very positive outcomes … “ The worth of a learning management system ultimately is measured by the same yardstick as

every other educational tool: student performance…the overall feeling of being engaged is better." (Shein, 2007)

Imagine some more … Students creating blogs … perhaps about a book, sharing thought s and ideas for a book talk or novel study. Students adding valid information to a wiki page. Contributing, collaborating, sharing … interacting!

Cool Learning

James Trier’s article “Cool” engagements with YouTube: Part 1 refers to “cool” engagements as those that are “high in participation.” I like the idea behind this and believe that the school librarians of tomorrow will be able to create a “cool” atmosphere within the library walls.

Cool LearningIn order for learning to be “cool” ,

educators must use teaching tools that students can identify with, tools that have meaning. Since the youth of the future will be born into a world filled with various forms of technology, they will definitely be considered digital natives, “…native speakers of the digital language of computers, video games and the Internet .” (Prensky, 2001)

Cool learning

The teacher-librarian of the 21st century will speak the same (digital) language as her students. She will be comfortable in the digital world and use the tools that they use in a way that will promote learning. She will show that education can be a dynamic process where the teacher and student can connect.

Conclusion

• The future of teacher – librarianship is friendly! Although the job description of a school librarian will change, it will evolve to embrace a knowledge based world where information is “king”. The library will once again be the “heart” of the school as it resumes its role as the epicentre of information gathering within the school community.

My References• Trier, J. (2007, February). Cool engagements with YouTube: Part 1.

Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 50(5), 408-412 • Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants• ISTE. (2007). National Educational Technology Standards (NETS). • Horizon Report. (2009). 2009 Horizon Report: K12 Edition• Shein, E. One-Stop Shopping With Learning Management

Systems.T.H.E. Journal• Valenza, J. (n.d.) Manifesto for 21st century teacher librarians