LIS 6455
School Library Redesign
Related Learning Outcome
I.d. Students demonstrate leadership skills and innovation in a diverse and global environment.
Artifact Overview
This collaborative project developed a redesign proposal for an existing school library serving students in kindergarten through seventh grade. Our group evaluated the limitations of the current environment and created a new layout intended to support reading, research, instruction, collaboration, and creative activities within a relatively small space. Proposed improvements included low window shelving, flexible soft seating, mobile work surfaces, movable dry-erase boards, makerspace tables, improved storage, and a mobile teacher workstation.
I selected this artifact for Outcome I.d because it demonstrates innovation and collaborative leadership in addressing the changing needs of a school library community. Rather than treating the library as a fixed physical environment, the project approached the space as something that could be intentionally redesigned to support different forms of learning, student independence, collaboration, and reading engagement. The design drew on observations of other school libraries and course concepts related to flexibility, accessibility, comfort, and effective use of limited space. Working collaboratively to evaluate an existing environment and develop practical improvements strengthened my understanding of how library leaders can use thoughtful design to create more welcoming and adaptable spaces for the communities they serve.
Project Note: This assignment was completed collaboratively. For portfolio publication, the names of my group members and identifying information about the schools have been redacted, and photographs containing identifiable students or staff have been pixelated to protect their privacy. The substance of the original project has otherwise been preserved.