From Library to Learning Commons: A Metamorphosis.

Olsen, Kristina

Diggs, V., & Loertscher, D. V. (2009). From Library to Learning Commons: A Metamorphosis. Teacher Librarian, 36(4), 32–38. Retrieved from http://libaccess.sjlibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eft&AN=502975209&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Summary: A teacher-librarian transforms her school library over the course of several years from an ordinary library into a vibrant learning commons. The article has commentary throughout her description of the process that point out the ways that the steps she took could be translated into any library. The secret appears to be to create client-side focused programming to bring patrons in.

Commentary: According to the article, "There is much more to this transformation than just a name change, new paint, carpeting, and furnishings." However, that always seemed to be what articles prior to this one indicated: a facelift will transform the culture of your library. Like other articles, it has an anecdotal story about how one library changed from a tired, worn-out, unused space into a learning commons where everyone in the school goes to learn. However, unlike those other articles, the commentary detailed why things worked and how the specific actions taken by that teacher librarian could be applied in other situations. The most important takeaway is probably that the program is much more important than the space. Once the programs are in place, people are more likely to want to transform the environment. The article helped me see that I don’t have to have "all the things" so much as having the desire to better serve the school and community and creating the programs to do that.