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Libraries have evolved from mere repositories of books to become multifaceted hubs for learning, innovation, and community engagement. During my LIS 540 course, I was assigned the task of developing a comprehensive facilities plan ad chose a potential new library media center at Jones Middle School. The assignment underscored the importance of understanding the unique needs of a given educational community when selecting materials, furniture, and technological resources, to maximize the utility of the facility. To inform my design, I conducted site visits to multiple libraries serving secondary education settings. These visits enabled me to better conceptualize spaces that would be able to serve the diverse needs of the student body and faculty. I learned the importance of a library design reflecting the needs of the community it serves.
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In my Administration of School Libraries class, I really got to dig into what it takes to make a library tick. It's not just about having books on shelves; it's about planning, understanding what the community needs, and then delivering on those needs. So I decided to use this project to tackle the dreaded "summer slide" issue. I created a plan that teamed up with our local community library and some area businesses to put together a summer reading program that's actually fun for the students. I created a gamified the summer reading progam where the students received a summer reading "menu" that included interactive elements to log participation. Student earn game points and incentives to keep reading all summer long. After wrapping up this project, I can honestly say I now understan how much thought and coordination goes into planning a solid library program. It's not just about the idea, but also how you execute it to make it successful.
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Having a chance early on in my coursework to pick the brain of our school librarian really helped open my eyes to what life in a school library really looks like. I learned more about district policy and protocol, plans that were currently in place and elements that the district was working to refine. In the two years since this initial interview process, I have seen transformations in the district documents that drive our library services. Having a chance to get an inside look into the life of a librarian early on in my studies reaffirmed my choice in graduate programs and a passion for sharing a love of both reading and technology with students.
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