In this new QSLiN hangout video, we encounter a new problem: lots of space! You may not think that this is much of a challenge, but as Caroll-Ann Steele, Documentation Technician, Pierrefonds Comprehensive High School, Lester B. Pearson School Board explains, students can have difficulty navigating around a large area. This school library is part of an open-concept school building that was constructed in the 1970s in a style known as Modernist and Brutalist. To add to the challenge of refurbishing the library, the walls do not fully close in the library. How do you make this a home away from home for students?
Lucia Coretti, Vice Principal at PCHS, points out that Caroll-Ann did a good job of involving students in the library changes. With her creative background and an understanding that students need to feel ownership in their library, Caroll-Ann approached students and teachers and asked them what they wanted. They explored various colour schemes and Caroll-Ann wisely decided to embrace the industrial feel of the space, but add colours that are reminiscent of the ocean and the outdoors.
In the video below, Vice Principal Coretti ties the changes in the library to the school’s mission and pedagogy. As students are more engaged with collaborative and inquiry based learning and activities, the library learning commons meets their needs. The library has an extensive collection, various technologies and different “zones” that allow students to work together, do research or socialize. The library learning commons at PCHS is a space where students feel welcome.
