In this video, Caroll-Ann Steele, Documentation Technician, Pierrefonds Comprehensive High School, Lester B. Pearson School Board, describes how she approached students at every grade level to find out what services they hoped for in the school’s refurbished library learning commons. As a result of her informal surveys, laptops, desktop computers and filming equipment were purchased and added to the library’s collection, but that’s not all. Now there are also a variety of games available to students and even dry erase boards that can be pulled off a display area for quick brainstorming. Caroll-Ann is there to offer students resources and help in creating films or Thinglinks or whatever new apps that will make sharing information more engaging.
Other services provided by the PCHS learning commons include an after school comic book club, makerspace with Legos and even workshops for parents so that they can understand how to help their children do research. Vice Principal Lucia Coretti suggests that students love coming to the library because it is ever-changing and they never know ahead of time what Caroll-Ann has planned. What they definitely can expect is a warm welcome in a student-friendly school library where Caroll-Ann is happy to help them with all the support that they need.
