The Demise of School Libraries

The Demise of the School Library...(music starts-dun dun dun...) sounds ominous (adjective)-giving the impression that something bad is going to happen-SCARY...at least to me and to all my fellow colleagues in the School Library Business. But in reality it not really scary, it is changing, evolving into a better School Library, a gathering place, a bookstore/cafe type area where students may comfortably work on homework, use computers, study and READ. A true community center. This begins with changes in the Library environment and it involves more than rearranging a few chairs and tables. In the article, The School Library Space is Changing by Laura Wernick, libraries "...are expanding their role as community wide help centers while continuing to be a place of reflection, sharing and learning." 

(https://login.ezproxy.palomar.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/loginaspx? direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ935431&site=ehost-live&scope=site).

According to Wernick, "In academic environments, libraries are changing as well.This shift is a direct result of two academic realities: the slow demise of the traditionally published book as the primary source of information; and the increasing demand for more collaborative, social environments for academic study and production." Schools are using more "Learning Commons" main library areas that allow instruction by teachers and additionally offer "...communal study spaces that support collaborative learning and easy access.." This shift towards making the school library as more of a community center allows additional usage which may include student presentations, student club meetings and also allows the outside community to rent/borrow the library space for PTA meetings, Church Services etc... truly allowing the library to be a welcoming area for all. Additionally, Library's could adapt with reading rooms for individual and/or small group tutoring purposes. Wernick states "As library design evolves, teachers no longer will be constrained by the four walls of their classrooms" which will further strengthen and support school educational practices for today's youth.

Works Cited:

Wernick, Laura. "The School Library Space is Changing." American School & University,

vol.83, no.9, May 2011, pp. 24-28. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct

=true&db=eric&AN=EJ935431&site=ehost-live&scope=site. (Accessed 28 April 2020).

The Demise of School Libraries by BarneyMont