By Marjolaine Séguin
The learning environment is changing and school libraries need to adapt to digital environments. Libraries are held accountable for preparing students to become effective researchers, skilled readers, tech-savvy users, critical consumers of information and thoughtful content creators. School libraries must therefore modernize and become learning commons.
Since 2016, librarians have presented the new philosophy of the learning commons to the different CSSMI stakeholders and services. This set-up first began in secondary schools, and the following year we saw the emergence of learning commons in primary schools. Here’s how I developed a close collaboration between the youth and material resources department of the school board, all in order to offer CSSMI elementary school managers a turnkey service and recommendations for each of the recommended spaces in a library learning commons.
The CSSMI at a Glance
CSSMI (1) is the fourth largest school board in Quebec. Its 800 km2 territory is located on the north shore of Montreal and serves 16 municipalities, both urban and rural. In 2018, the CSSMI had 59 primary schools and 12 secondary schools, 1 regional specialized school, 2 adult general education centres and 5 vocational training centres. For the year 2018-2019, four librarians are employed by the school board.
The Library Learning Commons
The library learning commons is both a physical and a virtual space, focused on collaboration, sharing and exchanging information through access to a variety of print, digital and technological resources and tools. Thus, the setup must be flexible, mobile and comfortable.
In order to familiarize ourselves with the new learning commons philosophy, my colleagues and I have relied on two Canadian resources. Canadian School Libraries’ web platform, Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada provided us with “standards to guide the transformation of school libraries to create future-oriented hubs of learning, innovation, and knowledge creation.” The Ontario School Library Association with its document Together for Learning: School Libraries and the Emergence of the Learning Commons , explains the context, the components and many avenues for reflection in order to support the setting up of a learning hub in a school.
Horizon-du-Lac School Relocation
For the elementary schools, the adventure began in 2017 with the relocation of a primary school in Sainte-Marthe sur-le-lac. Many tasks were completed before the move: analysis of the library (current profile and objectives to be achieved), weeding and cleaning the shelves, new book purchasing, etc.. At the school principal’s invitation, I had the chance to participate in the meetings on how to plan the move, and also to meet the project managers, architects and engineers and to have access to the architect’s plans. Therefore, after understanding and analyzing the plans of the architects, I was able to make plans for the layout of the new library, recommend furniture for the new space, and even visit the construction site – a first for me!
The Working Committee: Reflection on the Layout of Classrooms and the Schoolyard
Following the relocation of the school in Horizon-du-Lac, and the many meetings during the process, I was invited to be part of a working committee on new classrooms and the school playground for a new primary school construction on the Mirabel territory. The members of this committee, headed by CSSMI engineers and architects, included directors, vice-principals, teachers and service coordinators. During the 3 meetings, there were presentations of very interesting studies in architecture, including air quality, the power of lighting, wall colour, design and materials, heating and air conditioning, etc.. In addition, the CSSMI’s values for schools that contribute to educational success, as well as safe, sustainable and constantly evolving schools were presented to the committee. At the end of these meetings, we worked in a subgroup and several lines of thought were proposed. I found out that the CSSMI engineers and architects were proposing an outdated model of school libraries and that the potential for development was not really considered. Thanks to the interventions of my coordinator and myself, we had the chance to introduce them to the basic concepts of the learning commons and a modern vision of school libraries.
I was subsequently invited to join another smaller think-tank focused on classroom furniture and storage, preschool furniture, specialty furniture, and library furniture. When building a new school, CSSMI engineers’ recommendations for a school library were based on a rather traditional vision: book shelves, a circulation desk, Ray-L chairs, and round tables and chairs. From a learning commons perspective, I brought the concept of spaces, with modern, colourful and varied furniture: space for books and other resources, space for reading, individual and group work space, cultural space and technological space.
Thanks to my participation and my interventions during these two committees, I was able to demonstrate the library’s importance in a school and position my skills as well as my expertise. Thus, the engineers called me to help develop the library of 90 m² of a new primary school’s construction in Mirabel. They gave me carte blanche and asked me for proposals and recommendations for the furniture in each of the spaces, for the flooring and for the lighting. This new school will open in September 2020.
A few months later, for the reconstruction of another primary school, the engineers offered me a space of only 18 m²! After my many comments and recommendations, they were able to redo the plans and the area was increased to 41 m². Finally, after several unforeseen and several changes of plan, they finally proposed a local with 150 m². Since then, I have been working closely with the Material Resources Department and school management to develop the school’s library as a learning commons.
A Much-Anticipated Ministerial Action Plan
In June 2018, a Digital Action Plan in Education was launched by the Government of Quebec. This Action Plan aimed to integrate and make optimal use of digital technology to foster students’ educational success and enable them to develop and maintain their skills throughout their lives. The plan included 33 measures, including Measure 17 “Deploying e-books in school libraries and encouraging their transition to learning hubs” . As a result, the Ministry not only confirms the concept of learning hubs, but also encourages the transformation of a place that is responsive to the needs of students and teachers to “enhance its contribution to 21st century student development.” This measure confirmed that we made the right decision to promote the concept of a learning commons for the managers in our school board for the past three years!
Close Collaboration Between Two Services
Since the autumn of 2018, a close collaboration between the general education department for young people and the CSSMI’s material resources department has been established for the development and refurbishment of school libraries. I am consulted for my expertise and knowledge for each project. We also wrote a collaborative document “Recommendations for a Learning Commons” (Non-exhaustive list of recommended furniture with periods of purchases grouped by the Material Resources Department). I also made a presentation of the 2017-2018 learning commons projects and results to all the architects and engineers of the Material Resources Department, and then to the entire Material Resources team, including foremen, painters, electricians, building technicians, etc.. We also managed to have some project costs covered by the material resources department in the form of miscellaneous work such as painting, and renovation of finishes up to 25% of the project’s total value.
Marketing: Know-How and Winning Conditions
For 3 years, I have been able to build on my skills and develop my know-how to promote the new philosophy of the learning commons. Always positive in nature, I had to be responsive, flexible and open-minded, while proposing the philosophy of the learning commons and always focusing on the importance and benefits of these changes. I was available when necessary, sometimes changing my work schedule and always ready to deliver, sometimes in very tight deadlines. Knowing how to manage the unexpected has allowed me to position my expertise and my librarian skills.
To make myself known, I knew how to enter through every door, at every level, and seize the many opportunities when they presented themselves. I had to invest in a relationship with different partnerships, suppliers and organizations. Also, I got involved in several committees within the CSSMI and outside my work. After several discussions, I realized that I needed to adapt the “librarianship” vocabulary in order to make my ideas understand and support my recommendations. In the meantime, I had to continue my research on the development of the learning commons, to educate myself on safety and construction standards, to innovate in order to propose different plans, and finally, to improve and perfect my tools. In order to better meet the needs, I knew how to be daring to help realize the dreams of various stakeholders. I also had to document and disseminate the results in communications and meetings between services, on social networks and at conferences, etc..
Obviously, I am aware that I already had winning conditions within the school board, such as a supportive and listening manager, and good colleagues to encourage me and push me to exceed my limits. Finally, the mobility of principals and teachers has greatly promoted word-of-mouth and increased the number of new projects.
Results
To see our beautiful results, please visit our website.
References
- CSSMI, Plan d’engagement vers la réussite 2018-2022, consulté le 11 mars 2019, http://www.cssmi.qc.ca/sites/default/files/pages/2018-09/PEVR_BrochureFinale_WEB.pdf
- Canadian School Libraries (CSL). (2018). Carrefour d’apprentissage. L’apprentissage en tête : principes relatifs à la transition de la bibliothèque scolaire vers le carrefour d’apprentissage au Canada, consulté le 11 mars 2019, http://cda.canadianschoollibraries.ca/
- Association des bibliothèques scolaires de l’Ontario. (2010). Ensemble pour apprendre : les bibliothèques scolaires et l’émergence d’un carrefour d’apprentissage, consulté le 11 mars 2019, https://www.accessola.org/web/Documents/OLA/Divisions/OSLA/717_OLATogetherforLearningFR.pdf
- Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur (MEES). (2018). Plan d’action numérique en éducation et en enseignement supérieur, consulté le 11 mars 2019, http://www.education.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/site_web/documents/ministere/PAN_Plan_action_VF.pdf
Marjolaine Séguin is a school librarian at the Commission scolaire de la Seigneurie-des-Mille-Iles, Québec. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in history from l’Université du Québec à Montréal and a Master of Library and Information Science from l’Université de Montréal. Marjolaine is madly in love with children’s literature and its creators! She enjoys sharing her passion, spreading the pleasure of reading with teachers and students, and developing inspiring and welcoming school libraries for the entire school.
Translation by Ariane Régnier. Ariane is a professional librarian at the Val des Cerfs School Board in Montérégie, Quebec. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Literature from the University of Sherbrooke and a Master’s degree in Information Science from the University of Montreal.