What does a 21st century school library look like?

For the past year or so, it's been impossible to open a professional journal or attend a conference without hearing about 21st century libraries.  And it's 2010...

 If our library godmother from the earlier post would appear, we'd have her whoosh all our libraries into the 21st century.  Since budget and buy-in are realistic constraints, we will concede to slower march toward change.  BUT that doesn't mean we can't get behind and push!

Normally when we talk about moving our libraries into the future, we discuss the changing formats of our collections and how we can collaborate to ensure that our students master new learning standards. 

But as they often do, my esteemed colleagues of the North Texas Area Library Administrators group (NTALA) raised my level of thinking.  At a recent meeting, we discussed 21st century library observables.

What I love about this idea is that it allows us to break this HUGE topic of transforming our libraries into smaller chunks. 


Coppell MS West

So, let's look at just this one piece from the collective eyes of many librarians whom I will credit at this end of this post...

What could we SEE in a 21st century school library?

(Not necessarily in order of importance.  Some typical items have been omitted in the interest of brevity.)

*A visually appealing and welcoming space
*Energized, productive activity of student and staff users
*Wireless laptops, netbooks, iPads, and other devices, which may edge out desktop computers
*Tables and seating that allow for flexible grouping
*Self check out which frees the librarian for professional duties
*Ubiquitous technology for learning and teaching
*Charging station for various devicees
*Download station for ebooks and audiobooks
*Large flat screen TV muted and tuned to news
*Flexible areas of the library which may allow for instruction, presentation, collaboration, quiet reading, and social interaction
*Digital production lab that can be closed to allow for creation of podcasts, book trailers, taped presentations, and other digital products
*Attractive displays, good lighting, intelligent signage, comfortable chairs, and standing OPAC/info stations
*Professional area with space and materials for teacher work, collaboration with librarian, and conferences
*Slimmer reference collection as online tools grow
*Vibrant print collection to support pleasure reading, browsing, and study
*And finally...a smiling, helpful, available, willing, and knowledgeable certified librarian!

With thanks to the forward-thinking ideas of...
*NTALA, especially Mary Woodard and Diane Lutz, for their individual contributions toward this post.
*Rose Brock (whose library is pictured), Lexanne Seifert, and Lynn Hevron, wonderful Coppell ISD librarians, for showing me their beautiful, newly-renovated libraries.
*The grandly-titled "Changing Libraries and the Future of Reading" committee of Frisco ISD librarians, and especially Ann Terry and Shelby Bivins for their individual contributions to this topic.

Now it's YOUR time to share!  What else can we see in your 21st century school library?