I just read Joyce Valenza’s post about the ISTE Topic, Brick and Mortar Libraries.  Although it makes me angry to hear comments, I have to listen to the opposing side in order to understand what we are up against.

Next year, I will open a new library in a new high school.  Thankfully my administrators view libraries as I do – it isn’t about the books, the furniture, and so on.  It is about the things we do with those resources.  I am paraphrasing what I hear from a variety of sources – but a library is not a warehouse for books and computers. It is a place where students can be creators, editors, and producers of their learning.

So as Joyce suggested, we are not asking the right question.  Questions I am asking as I begin to design and think of this new library…

1.  What does it look like to have a “creative space”?

2.  What is my role as a teacher and information specialist in this environment?

3.  Where do books fit?  How does the collection look different from the building we opened 9 years ago?

4.  What things remain important?

5.  How can I be ‘virtual’ in my role as well as physically present?  How do the two work?

The list of questions continue and I will post more as I think and work through these questions.

Right now, I am ordering books – how does my nonfiction collection look now with Gale Virtual Reference Library and Follett ebooks/ereader?

Thoughts on KLA:   

1.  There were so many wonderful presentations this year & a lot of us are incorporating 2.0 tools.  For me, the presentations that showed examples of students using these tools captured my imagination.  Just like students, a good model of how something can be done is inspiring and motivational. 

2.  I always feel like this at most conferences, but it would be great if everyone could bring a laptop or conference provided  laptops or labs.  The presenters could have everyone log on to the site(s), try them out, have online discussion, etc. 

3.  I enjoy going every year.  What a great opportunity to learn from each other!