Learning Commons: Defined

           This year’s seventh graders were baffled by the stack of cards I unearthed from the back of my file cabinet--a stack of yellowed cards printed by a dot matrix printer, with a hole through the bottom. I passed them out, and the students guessed what they were for. The closest they got to guessing the purpose of the remnants from an old card catalog was “cards for research…bibliography cards.” They weren’t far off, but it would be nearly impossible for them to imagine the long wooden drawer those came out of, or the long rod that held all the cards in place. Those cards were from Sam Houston State’s library in 1984.

            Libraries are undergoing a huge change, into what is now referred to as the Learning Commons Model. What exactly is a library commons? According to Paul Mihailidis, it is “a dynamic media literacy learning hub, anchoring entire schools around knowledge, expression, collaboration, and creation in both virtual and physical spaces” (Mihailidis, 2012).  Referring to the space as a commons is intentional, making the implication that it is less of a place of instruction and more a place of discovery (Loertscher & Koechlin, 2014). What does a learning commons look like, and how is it different from a traditional library?           

Not your grandmother's library furniture!

            The appearance of a learning commons involves a nod to the places that young people tend to congregate with their friends—the mall, the coffee shop, or a friend’s game room. What makes them comfortable? “Flexible furnishings encourage students to sit together and chat…” (Hayes 2014). Soft furniture, instead of hard chairs and formal computer desks provide a place that is welcoming, rather than restricting.

            Power for individual charging stations like these rather than dangerous extension cords and wifi are no longer a luxury; in the learning commons, they are a necessity. Students will be relying on BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) or mobile devices on loan from the library, and those two elements are necessary to make them effective. Expect to see cheap headsets for sale, and loaners in a basket, as students rely on headphones as they create and learn in the commons.

            How will the librarian’s role differ? According to Hayes, before, “the school librarian was monarch of his or her domain, daring anyone to upset the quiet order” (2014). In a learning commons, it will be the librarian’s role to instead be a true teacher librarian, and provide support for the different needs students comes with. Research direction, technology assistance, and acting as a sounding board for new ideas will shape the tasks faced by the librarian daily.

            Inquiry based learning will be the focus of the new library, feeding off a child’s natural instinct to question and then seek answers to the questions. Watch adults at dinner when someone has an idle question. “What year did that movie come out?” Phones are whipped out, fingers flying, and a jubilant winner calls out the answer. It is the same way with students in the learning commons. It will look different and sound different, but in a good way.

Curious to learn more? Check out this slideshow with more details!

Or take look at this video, with even more information on the learning commons model!

References

Hayes, T. (2014). Library to learning commons: A recipe for success. Canada Education. Retrieved from http://www.cea-ace.ca/education-canada/article/library-learning-commons

Loertscher, D. V., & Koechlin, C. (2014). Climbing to excellence: Defining characteristics of a successful learning commons. Knowledge Quest, 42(4), E1-E10. Retrieved from ala.org

Mihailidis, P., PhD. (2012). Media literacy and learning commons in the digital age: Toward a knowledge model for successful integration into the 21st century school library. The Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults, 2. Retrieved from http://www.yalsa.ala.org