Welcome toRama Road Elementary

School!

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Stephanie SimpsonMarch 4, 2010

MLIS 653, The School Library

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Rama Road Elementary School is located in Southeast Charlotte, on Rama Road. It serves approximately 600 students in grades Pre-K through fifth grade.

Rama Road Elementary School is a Title I school as of the 2009 – 2010 school year. A majority of its students are Black and Hispanic, and over 75% qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The current school building was built in 1964, but this is one of the oldest elementary schools in Charlotte. Fifteen years ago, more classrooms, work areas, and a new library facility were added to the back of the school.

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The new library space and supporting areas total about 5,680 square feet. Media Specialist Christy Tyson has organized shelving and furniture to create defined areas within the library, allowing many activities to take place at once.

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COMPUTERS

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Go onthe

visual tour

Recommendationsfor

Improvements

The Entrance / Exit

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Bulletin boards and a hand-painted mural welcome students to the library. Several signs on each door clearly mark traffic patterns for entering and exiting the facility.

The Entrance / Exit

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Student artwork decorates the windows across from the library entrance. Each grade created a mural for Read Across America Week, which starts on March 5.

Circulation

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The Entrance and Exit doors provide clear traffic patterns around the circulation area, which is just inside the media center’s doors.

Two individual desks frame the area, but placement allows students to wander behind the desks. Built-in shelving sits vacant and underutilized. Student-made dolls decorate the walls just above the area.

Circulation

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A custom book drop is clearly marked and accessible. The wood and finish match much of the media center’s furniture, although not the circulation desks themselves.

Built-in shelving lies vacant. Two tall bookcases and three book carts nearby provide opportunity to organize books prior to shelving.

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StorytellingThe Storytelling area is generous, at 650 square feet, well beyond the IMPACT guidelines of 270 square feet. The armchair for the storyteller is comfortable but the upholstery is worn. The space is surrounded by the Everybody book collection, perfect for browsing.

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Smaller Group InstructionThe smaller of two group instruction areas, approx. 650 square feet in size, is nestled within the Fiction collection stacks. Four long rectangular tables provide seating for 24 students.

This area is perfect for small group work, and the Reference collection is close at hand.

Three large windows on one wall provide natural light. However, the blinds are usually left in the closed position.

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Large Group InstructionThe large class instruction area, which is approx. 950 square feet, easily seats a full class of thirty-two students at eight round tables. Placement near the Non-Fiction collection affords easy access to resources related to lesson plans.

This library incorporates 21st-Century technology, and the SMART Board turns lessons into fun, interactive moments. The board is also used for group games during after-school programs.

Computer AccessCheck

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In addition to the two computers at the Circulation desk and one computer in the workroom, the media center has seven computers for students’ and teachers’ use. One computer is placed by the Storytelling area for semi-private teacher use.

The other six stations are clustered together on computer carrels. These desks leave no extra space for papers, books, or even elbows.

One of the stations holds two computers, but it was clearly only made for one. The second stool is pushed up against space for a printer or other peripherals and doesn’t allow the user to pull up under the desk.

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The main Leisure Reading area is located close to the circulation desk. Two threadbare couches, a rocking chair, and two armchairs frame an area rug. A coffee table is covered with picture books and magazines. A slanted periodical reading table is nearby for browsing.

Another small lounge area with one couch and one chair is strategically located near the periodical shelves, towards the back of the library. The large group instruction area is just beside this reading area.

Leisure Reading Areas

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An attached, 320-square-foot space that was originally intended for the Reference collection has been taken over by a teacher’s assistant who runs tutoring classes for as many as twelve students in this room.

However, the media specialist continues to maintain this space and stores teachers’ resources and AR kits on its bookshelves.

Classroom

A round window allows in natural sunlight, and a direct sightline into most areas of the main media center exists through a wall of windows.

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Laminating / StorageA laminator is located in a small storage room, approx. 240 square feet in size, along with a work table. Shelves line the walls and are home to the novel sets. These sets are cataloged and maintained by the media specialist.

This room was originally intended for A/V.

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Workroom and OfficeThe large workroom area is a perfect place for book repairs, bulletin board creation, and other administrative tasks. Windows along two walls provide vital sight lines into the media center…when the blinds are actually open.

Teachers can collaborate with the media specialist at the long table. A myriad of office supplies are within close reach in the huge work table’s drawers.

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Workroom and OfficeThe majority of the walls are covered by shelving units that hold the audiovisual portion of the collection. VHS and DVD copies of movies are available for teacher use, and an extensive listening library is organized in hanging bags.

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Workroom and OfficeWhile this space is perfect for some tasks, it is less than ideal as an office space. Two desks are surrounded by games, books to be mended, and catalogs.

No privacy exists for consultations with students, other teachers, or the principal.

A/V & Storage

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On the original floor plan of the school addition, this room was designated as “Production.” Now, it houses the TV studio and A/V equipment that enables broadcasting of movies on closed-circuit television.

TVs, overhead projectors, and other equipment are stored in here, and the room includes wall cabinets and a sink.

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Recommendations for Now…• Regain control of the classroom and turn it into an office.

• Move A/V into the area originally intended for it.

• Create a teachers’ resource room in the current A/V studio. Use current shelving and move the AR kits, novel sets, and listening library into this space.

• Move the laminator and additional rectangular table into the workroom.

• Use the built-in shelving in the one circulation desk for displays.

• Select computer furniture that is ADA-compliant.

• Create another leisure reading area within Storytelling.

• Leave the blinds between library spaces open to facilitate supervision of the main area when in the support areas.

Total Cost w/ Shipping Handling, & Taxes: Approx. $5,000

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Recommendations for Now…Regain control of the room currently being used as a classroom and turn it into an office. The windows allow the media specialist to maintain visibility on the media center. The door provides privacy when meeting with parents, teachers, and the principal.

• Move the two desks with chairs into this space.

• Add a telephone.

• Add a round table, in natural wood with light blue laminate top, with four natural wood chairs for conference purposes.

Cost: Approx. $1,500

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Recommendations for Now…Repurpose the lamination room and A/V studio, using them the way they were originally intended:

• Move the A/V equipment, listening library, and video collections into the lamination room.

• Move the laminator into the workroom.

• Move the novel sets, AR kits, and other teacher resources, including current shelving and a table, into the A/V studio space, turning it into a professional area.

Cost: Free

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Recommendations for Now…Use the currently vacant built-in shelving units in one of the circulation desks as a display area for new books or award winners.

Replace computer carrels with an ADA compliant computer cluster, and add wood chairs that match other furniture in the library.

Cost: Approx. $2,335

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Recommendations for Now…Split the Storytelling area into both a Storytelling space and a child-friendly leisure reading zone by adding four floor rockers in blue fabric.

Place the rockers facing the bookshelves to discourage children from playing on them during storytime. Rockers are sized for both children and adults.

Cost: Approx. $500

Paint the soffit above this area in a lime green, to complement the new lounge furniture to be purchased later.

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Additional Recommendations for Later…• Replace threadbare furniture in the lounge area with contemporary furniture in a

lime green vinyl material.

• Choose a new rug for the storytelling area that clearly defines a “seat” for each student.

• Create or purchase better signage for use throughout the library, including for each section of the collection and identification of each support room.

• Purchase a circulation desk that matches the rest of the library furniture, is round, and helps keep children out from behind the desk while still maintaining the current friendly, loving atmosphere.

• Repaint the workroom to a more pleasing color.

• Purchase two more computers for use by the media specialist and media assistant in the new office.

• Add WiFi access.

VisualTour

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