A participatory designing approach
At the onset of a school library’s build or refurbishment, it is crucial that the needs of the people who will be using the facilities are considered in the design. A participatory designing approach ensures that a space is not just aesthetically beautiful, but also works well for the end user by including them in the designing process (Hughes et al., 2019, p. 331). The most favourable time for the school community to have an impact on the design process is at the very beginning, as opportunities for the school community to influence the design process decline once professionals are engaged (Hughes, 2019, p. 10). There are many methods teacher librarians can use to give a voice to the teaching and learning community of a school to ensure the end product will be one that is functional, well used, and elicits a love of reading and learning. Examples of participatory design methods include surveys, charettes, and student design projects that can be embedded into units of work.
Site visits are a useful participatory design strategy that allows a teacher librarian to gain insights into design possibilities. During site visits, teacher librarians can speak directly to other teacher librarians, teachers, and students to gain an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses different design features posess and how they impact learning and teaching. The information gained from site visits can create a foundation upon which other participatory design methods can be built upon. Any photos, ideas, and anecdotes collected from the site visits could then be presented to the school community and used as a springboard for inspiration and guide an informed discussion around design possibilities.
One way in which I would keep school community members up to date on the school library redesign process would be through the creation of Prezi’s (n.d.), that could be distributed to the wider school community via different channels, such as email and the school social media accounts. Using the Prezi format would make the information accessible to everyone, from staff and parents, to our youngest students. Classroom teachers, particularly in the younger grades, could use the Prezi as a springboard for discussion with younger students.
References:
Hughes, H. (2019). (Re)Designing the library through school community participation. Connections, 111. https://www.scisdata.com/connections/issue-111/re-designing-the-library-through-school-community-participation/
Hughes, H., Bland, D., Willis, J., & Burns, R. E. (2015). A happy compromise: collaborative approaches to school library designing. The Australian Library Journal, 64(4), 321–334. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049670.2015.1033380
Prezi. (n.d.). Prezi. https://prezi.com/