BOULDER EDUCATION & SCHOOLS School libraries in Boulder ... · "Our library is so outdated, that...
Transcript of BOULDER EDUCATION & SCHOOLS School libraries in Boulder ... · "Our library is so outdated, that...
11/25/2015 School libraries in Boulder County changing for 21st century - Boulder Daily Camera
data:text/html;charset=utf-8,%3Ch2%20id%3D%22articleOverline%22%20class%3D%22articleOverline%22%20style%3D%22margin%3A%200px%200px%2011.... 1/6
RELATED STORIES
BOULDER EDUCATION & SCHOOLS
School libraries in Boulder Countychanging for 21st centuryBooks no longer 'main event' as students needs evolve
By Amy Bounds
Staff Writer
POSTED: 11/21/2015 10:00:00 AM MST
Walking into the main library at Longmont's Trail Ridge Middle School, you
won't see row after row of book stacks or hear exhortations to keep quiet.
Instead, the main space is filled with round tables with whiteboard tops
Peter Alspaugh records his impressions of the book "I am Malala" as Jason Cui looks on as the two work
on their digital book reports at Southern Hills Middle School on Monday. Cui's report was on "The Hunger
Games". Paul Aiken / Staff Photographer / November 09, 2015
Photos: Technology in SchoolLibraries
‹ ›
Monarch librarian developsbookstore classificationsystem for easier browsing
1/2
11/25/2015 School libraries in Boulder County changing for 21st century - Boulder Daily Camera
data:text/html;charset=utf-8,%3Ch2%20id%3D%22articleOverline%22%20class%3D%22articleOverline%22%20style%3D%22margin%3A%200px%200px%2011.... 2/6
arranged around a big projection screen, giving classes room to hear
presentations and collaborate on design ideas.
There's also a maker space with a prototype closet stuffed with cardboard, yarn, cork and a wide variety of
other materials. Plus a separate "think tank" room for small group work. Another area is still being arranged
but includes charging stations for Chromebook and Mac computer carts shared by classes.
There are still some shelves of books, but they're no longer the main event. Most of the school's book
collection now resides in an auxiliary library.
Those who want to grab a book or read on a device can settle in on a couch or comfy chairs. Or there are tall
tables arranged against a block of windows so students can look out as they read or work.
"Kids can prototype and create projects in our library," said Trail Ridge Principal Eddie Cloke. "It's a really
cool space."
Both the St. Vrain Valley and Boulder Valley school districts are beginning to make changes to bring their
libraries into the 21st century.
In St. Vrain Valley, there's a library pilot focused on redesigns. In Boulder Valley, the $576.5 million bond
issue approved by voters in 2014 gives schools money to make physical changes to library spaces.
The four Boulder Valley schools with major remodels or rebuilds, plus the new K8 school being built in
Erie, are designing new library spaces with innovation as the goal. All the district's schools also will share a
$20 million innovation fund that could be used to update libraries.
Kelly Sain, Boulder Valley's director of educational technology, said schools are looking at incorporating
maker spaces, presentation areas and video creation rooms into their libraries. Another idea is for students
to write reviews that would be available online to help classmates pick books.
"Our libraries will need to change based on learning needs," she said. "We can use the library as a real
learning hub or curiosity center."
Curiosity centers and digital commons
In both districts, libraries are being rebranded to better reflect their broader purposes — curiosity center or
inquiry center, digital commons or learning commons.
In St. Vrain Valley, Trail Ridge was one of the first to turn its library into a "digital commons." The school,
which has a STEM focus, started making changes last school year and is continuing work on the library this
year.
On a recent day, a sixthgrade science class used the library for a STEM lesson on biomimicry from a
University of Colorado graduate student.
After learning about how engineers use animal and plant strategies to improve products for people, they
worked in pairs to develop their own ideas and used the whiteboard tables for notes and sketches.
Isaac Garcia, using the whiteboard to make a quick sketch of a prototype car he wants to make in the maker
space, said he likes that the library allows for more active learning.
11/25/2015 School libraries in Boulder County changing for 21st century - Boulder Daily Camera
data:text/html;charset=utf-8,%3Ch2%20id%3D%22articleOverline%22%20class%3D%22articleOverline%22%20style%3D%22margin%3A%200px%200px%2011.... 3/6
Sixth-grader Hazel Joy laughs while working on a group project Monday during an engineering class at Trail Ridge Middle School inLongmont. (Matthew Jonas / Staff Photographer)
"They
made it
part
library
and
part a
place to
work,"
he said.
Classmate Sierra Champion added that she likes the new library layout "because we have more learning
space."
Trail Ridge's media specialist Mai Vu said the library defines the school's culture.
"The issue all libraries are facing is how you move to the 21st century," she said. "We can be both a place for
books and a maker space. It's fascinating to see kids making stuff and not just consuming stuff."
Kahle Charles, St. Vrain Valley's executive director of curriculum, said the district's onetoone iPad
initiative is changing how teachers teach and students learn — with kids engaged in more projectbased and
collaborative learning.
Libraries, he said, need to change, too.
"We're asking how libraries can help support this more engaging learning experience for kids," he said. "We
really want to start to transform our libraries into the most vibrant areas in our schools."
With iPads, he said, middle and high school students already have "all the information they would ever need
at their fingertips."
"We want students to be able to combine what they know and apply it to produce something," he said. "It's
more about instruction and less about checking out books."
St. Vrain piloting library redesigns
11/25/2015 School libraries in Boulder County changing for 21st century - Boulder Daily Camera
data:text/html;charset=utf-8,%3Ch2%20id%3D%22articleOverline%22%20class%3D%22articleOverline%22%20style%3D%22margin%3A%200px%200px%2011.... 4/6
Sophia Hrywnak records herself Monday as she works on a digital book report at Southern Hills Middle School. (Paul Aiken / StaffPhotographer)
Three
library pilot schools — Lyons Elementary, Westview Middle and Longmont High — started meeting monthly
this fall. They've talked about using blended learning in libraries, looked at library research and gathered
data on how students are using libraries now.
To get more ideas, they looked at Douglas County schools. Linda Conway, Douglas County's director
of library media programming, was hired three years ago to improve and modernize school libraries.
Using a learning commons model, she said, she's worked with schools on libraries with multiple, flexible
learning spaces and access to digital resources 24 hours a day.
Without much extra funding, libraries added wheeled support systems to book shelves instead of buying
new shelves and used Plexiglass and other inexpensive materials to create "thinking" walls students could
write on.
To gain space where students could collaborate and brainstorm, outdated print books were removed and
replaced with digital versions.
"We still have checkout of books, but now we check out print and digital books," Conway said. "It's all about
balance and giving students choice."
In St. Vrain, each of the three pilot schools has developed an action plan and is working on implementing it.
More schools will join the pilot in the spring.
At Westview, revamping the library was presented to students as a design project, and their ideas were
incorporated into the plans.
11/25/2015 School libraries in Boulder County changing for 21st century - Boulder Daily Camera
data:text/html;charset=utf-8,%3Ch2%20id%3D%22articleOverline%22%20class%3D%22articleOverline%22%20style%3D%22margin%3A%200px%200px%2011.... 5/6
The school created a help desk for iPad issues that's staffed with students in its "Geek Squad" class. The help
desk includes copies of a studentcreated manual that offers help for solving common problems like a
forgotten password or an app that won't download, plus iPad charging stations.
Then there are collaboration stations with large display screens so students can project work from their
iPads and a maker space for prototypes. The library also will house the school's second 3D printer.
Along with adding collaboration and maker spaces to its libraries, St. Vrain is adding to its digital library.
The district partnered with Overdrive to provide ebooks and now has about 54,000 titles in its digital
library. The district also bought digital content as part of a recent secondary language arts materials
adoption.
BVSD using bond for library work
Boulder Valley is using bond money to reimagine its libraries.
The district contracted with Fielding Nair International, a Minneapolisbased architectural firm, to work
with schools this fall on innovative design as they plan for construction projects.
The firm earlier this fall held two days of interviews, workshops and tours at each of the schools with the five
biggest projects — the new Erie K8; the Creekside, Douglass and Emerald elementary rebuilds; and a
Centaurus High remodel.
One of the goals identified for the new Erie school is a "curiosity center" at the heart of the school that could
replace the library, with access to media, resources and tools, plus space for performance and gathering.
"It's the idea of a library becoming more of a place where they can connect with people and ask big
questions," said Kiffany Lychock, Boulder Valley's innovation director. "We're really looking forward to
these projects coming to life."
Along with revamping libraries in schools that will be rebuilt, the district also has several schools planning
to update their libraries using bond money.
Sanchez Elementary, for example, is looking to turn its library into an inquiry center to better align with its
inquirybased International Baccalaureate, or IB, program.
"In most IB schools, the library is where all of the action takes place," said Assistant Principal Kristy Krause.
"Our library is so outdated, that doesn't happen here."
She said the library is still in the design phase, but potential changes include a maker space, docking stations
for Chromebooks and iPads, and furniture that's more mobile and in more sizes to better fit students.
With classrooms now sharing sets of Chromebooks, the computer lab would be used instead as a book room
to store the books used for literacy instruction, freeing up space. A full Chromebook set also would be
housed in the library.
"We're looking at totally remaking the library space," Krause said.
At Boulder's Southern Hills Middle School, librarian Regina Hoskins is working with teachers schoolwide on
integrating technology. Helping is a student technology team, with students providing basic tech help and
11/25/2015 School libraries in Boulder County changing for 21st century - Boulder Daily Camera
data:text/html;charset=utf-8,%3Ch2%20id%3D%22articleOverline%22%20class%3D%22articleOverline%22%20style%3D%22margin%3A%200px%200px%2011.... 6/6
support to teachers.
"The student tech team has been huge," she said. "They really shine when they can show others how to do
something."
In the library, she's always looking for more ways to incorporate technology and frequently moves the
furniture as needed to add flexibility to the space.
She's added computers through grants and other funding sources, with almost a full classroom set now
located in the center of the library for research. There's also a mobile smartboard for presentations.
Her wish list for the bond money includes a multimedia space where students can "create and publish" and
a large screen so students can connect with experts and authors through Skype.
"I'm amazed at how the job has changed in the five years I've been the librarian," she said. "We have to shift.
It's not just about reading books anymore. It's how do we help the students access the information they
need?"
Amy Bounds: 3034731341, [email protected] or twitter.com/boundsa