Development in School Library Media
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Objective Indicator
When I arrived at my first media center, fiction was shelved in waist-high bookcases. Perusing titles meant either a strained back or a hands-and-knees crawl. No wonder that fiction, normally a high-circulating section, barely moved off the shelves! That wasn’t the only problem with the library’s layout, which needed a major overhaul to meet our school's needs. I reorganized the entire flow of the Dewey system in our shelves (which required the physical relocation of every single title) so that fiction is now displayed in prominently tall bookcases near the entrance, with newest titles showcased nearby. I added a soft seating area with a magazine rack for casual reading, and shifted our reference collection to a central spot near the class seating for easy access. And by removing a bank of taller bookcases that cut off line of sight in the middle of our media center, I created an area for small groups to work and for teachers to conference with students just outside the computer labs. Our media center had only one printer, so I added a second to service both computer labs, then moved the first next to the circulation desk, which brings students and teachers up close with questions. I rearranged computers so that all screens face one direction for easy monitoring, and created space on our server for students and teachers to save and retrieve their files. And since most teachers direct their students to particular websites, I fixed all browser homepages to our school’s media center webpage, which now functions as an educational portal with links for specific assignments. The work isn’t finished. I still need to create a crafts and materials area for students working on poster projects. Our soft seating area has grown so popular I plan to expand it, and when our school receives an additional bank of computers this fall I will be reorganizing shelves yet again to position them effectively. When those projects are complete, more will come. A media center is never a finished product – it should always be changing so that users never have to "stoop" for information. |
Artifacts Link: Media Center Before & After Link: Media Center Webportal |
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McDaniel
College |
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