One of the first things people say when they walk into the media center here at Cornelius Elementary is "Wow! It's so big. It's beautiful." That, it is. This media center was built in the days when architects were generous with media center square footage. Also, our school has beautiful murals throughout and some of the best are here in the media center. The mural of the Dewey Decimal system over the nonfiction section is not only stunning but practical. Kids use it all the time to find what they're looking for. So why do we need a makeover?
As I said, this media center was built in an era when libraries were built big but that era pre-dates the online catalog. It was big because we needed space for card catalogs. And vertical files. Don't get me wrong, I love these things. In fact, my husband bought me a beautiful card catalog from Williamsburg, VA for my birthday a few years back. In 2014 when so much technology is wireless and compact, the focus of libraries is shifting. Gone are the days of seeing the library as a place to consume information. The future of libraries is to become a makerspace. Students are not as much consuming content as they are using critical thinking and creating their own. As our school community makes that shift from 20th century receptacle of books to 21st century Innovation Lab, we encounter some frustrations with our facility. Watch the video to see.
(Links to images used in the video can be found here.)
Much thanks to the students and teachers who helped me put this together. Wish us luck! The winner will be announced announced the week of December 7th. Win or lose, we appreciate Belk and PNC Bank funding this makeover for a few lucky media centers in CMS. Thank you!
As I said, this media center was built in an era when libraries were built big but that era pre-dates the online catalog. It was big because we needed space for card catalogs. And vertical files. Don't get me wrong, I love these things. In fact, my husband bought me a beautiful card catalog from Williamsburg, VA for my birthday a few years back. In 2014 when so much technology is wireless and compact, the focus of libraries is shifting. Gone are the days of seeing the library as a place to consume information. The future of libraries is to become a makerspace. Students are not as much consuming content as they are using critical thinking and creating their own. As our school community makes that shift from 20th century receptacle of books to 21st century Innovation Lab, we encounter some frustrations with our facility. Watch the video to see.
(Links to images used in the video can be found here.)
Much thanks to the students and teachers who helped me put this together. Wish us luck! The winner will be announced announced the week of December 7th. Win or lose, we appreciate Belk and PNC Bank funding this makeover for a few lucky media centers in CMS. Thank you!