Future Vision Project: Who is this Virtual Library Learning Commons for?

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Image from https://www.canadianschoollibraries.ca/addressing-the-summer-achievement-gap/ 

 Three main groups come to mind when I think about who I am designing the virtual library learning commons (VLLC) for:

  • Students
  • Teachers/Staff
  • Families

My goal is to create a visually appealing and functional website that allows users to easily access the resources available to them with the least number of clicks. As Buerkett (2014) suggests, I need to put the most important and frequently used resources clearly at the top of the home page, as users will not always think to scroll down. TumbleBooks and EPIC are two of the most utilized online reading websites at our school so I am hoping to create direct 'button' links under the home page banner. 

As our school community has a high number of English Language Learners, I would love to use visual icons as much as possible (Reid, 2019). This is not as easy as I had hoped, as the Wix template that I have decided to use, only allows for text based buttons. I am sure there is a way around this but I think it will take a little bit of research and playing around this week to see if I can make it work. 

 So far, I have decided to create the following 'Pages' which categorize the different areas and functions of the website. 

  • Home (Landing page - General information about the LLC, News and Events highlights, photos, contact information and opening hours)
  • Blog (Regular blog posts related to school or library events, multiple contributors)
As Appendix 6 in Leading Learning recommends to 'support school cultural events', I would like to include blog posts that document both events in the library and in the wider school. I am hoping to have students contribute content to the blog as well and make it a place to 'showcase student work' (Reid, 2019).
  • Books (Link to the catalogue, book reviews and new book highlights)

In promoting reading engagement, I would like to include a page dedicated to highlighting high interest books, recommendations and reviews, new graphic novels etc. I will also include links to the catalogue and online reading programs as well as our district's book award contest Surrey Schools Book of the Year nominees.

  • Research (Links to district subscriptions, digital tools and reference websites)

As Reid (2019) recommends, every VLLC needs 'a portal for web tools'. This will be under the 'research' tab, so that students and teachers can easily navigate to a single page which has the district resources as well as ones that have been reviewed and curated by myself. I have several Symbaloo webmixes that I have been updating for the last year or so, that I would like to include for students and teachers.
  • Library Questions (Frequently Asked Questions about borrowing and library policies)
I would like the library policies around borrowing and technology to be very clear for all users. I will update this page with more questions as they continue to arise as well. 
  • Staff Resources (Links for teachers and staff related to teaching, lesson planning and professional development - password protected?)
Supporting teachers in their professional development has come much more to the forefront of my mind since our inquiry blogging phase about professional development. I realized the potential of the teacher-librarian role to lead and support in this area so I am hoping to create an area that will continue to grow. I noticed that the Walnut Grove VLLC has a password protected area for staff resources and I thought that this might be a good idea for our school as then staff can access resources that may not be relevant for students.


I have also linked my Twitter account to the website and I am hoping to start an Instagram account soon that could potentially have a direct feed on the website home page. 

 Inspired by Ms. Prenske on the Walnut Grove Virtual Library Learning Commons blog, one of my next steps will be starting to include student feedback about the website. During our Library Monitor's meeting next week I will ask them to give their thoughts on which designs within the template that they like and what features they think would be most useful. Buerkett (2014) also notes the importance of seeking feedback after the website has been created and continuing to tweak and improve the website over time. I am hoping to introduce the staff the website at our next staff meeting and encourage them to explore it and ask them to let me know what they would like to see included. 

 Next Steps:

  • Seek feedback from students 
  • Continue to work on adding information to the different pages of the website
  • Take more photos of the library learning commons and students engaged in activities
  • Update the links from our school website to this new VLLC once I have published it. 


 References:

 Buerkett, R (2014). Where to Start? Creating Virtual Library Spaces. Knowledge Quest. Library Spaces - Online Exclusive 42 (4), E23-E27. 

 Canadian School Libraries (CSL). 2018. "Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada" Available: http://llsop.canadianschoollibraries.ca

 Reid, L (2019). Virtual Library Learning Commons Inquiry. Canadian School Libraries Journal, 3 (1). Accessed on 18/09/2019 from https://journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca/virtual-library-learning-commons-inquiry/

Walnut Grove Secondary School Library Learning Commons. Accessed 18/09/2019 from https://www.wgsslibrary.ca


Comments

  1. A Library Learning Commons from SD2317 November 2019 at 20:01

    I really love how you are planning to include your students in the creation and the continued output on the website. It really fosters a sense of community around the LLC.

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  2. Kaitlin Schellenberg18 November 2019 at 13:05

    I’m really excited to see your final web site. This is something I would love to create once I am in the position of teacher librarian. As I was unsure what formate I was going to use for this assignment I played around with weebly. I seemed to have no trouble adding photos and linking them to websites. Might be hard to switch platforms now but I just wanted to let you know!

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  3. Aaron Mueller19 November 2019 at 06:18

    Well done checkin post on your progress so far in planning and building your final vision project. You've done a good job outlining all of your audiences, and how best to support their needs and reasons for finding and using your helpful resource. A good discussion of the planning, development and challenges you've come up against so far. You've got a good idea to get some early feedback from your peers and mentors and this will help you narrow and polish quite a bit. Overall, progress is looking great and I am excited to see the final project.

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  4. Natalee Olsen19 November 2019 at 21:03

    Creating a VLLC is such a big project, but it definitely seems like a really important one! I think a lot more libraries will be LLCs will be making the shift to include more online options and you are definitely stepping in the right direction. Good call on slowing down and focussing on just a few pages of your site for the project, but I will be interested in continuing to follow your progress in the coming months and years :)

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  5. Book Room Dragon20 November 2019 at 09:30

    This is a highly relevant project! I appreciate your thorough attention to detail re audience needs. I also really like how you plan to include students in your planning and feedback; it feels like an authentic way to engage them in the creation and sharing of new technologies and understandings.

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