Kaitlyn Rodbell

Candace Blessing

SLM 502

28 January 2018

Library Facilities Design Project

Vision, Mission and Personal Philosophy

Before I begin to share the description of my library facilities floor plan, I will share the

library media program vision and mission of the county where I am currently employed,

Allegany County, for these statements remain consistent throughout the schools. I will also share

my personal philosophy. I share these pieces of information because my floor plan is developed

in a way that supports these statements, and I will be reflecting on them throughout my floor plan

description.

Vision statement:

“The School Library Media Program of Allegany County is an integral part of the learning

process. The school library media specialist uses state and national standards and curricula to

maintain a program that supports student achievement and college and career readiness. In

each school, the school library media specialist assists the learning community in becoming

active and creative locators, evaluators, and users of information.” (ACPS School Library

Media Guidelines).

Mission:

“The School Library Media Program provides instruction, resources, and services to assist the

learning community in becoming effective users of ideas and information. Qualified

professionals accomplish this mission by: Providing access and direct instruction in the use of

information sources, Providing instruction in information and technology literacy and its
socially responsible use, Providing exposure to a variety of literature and inspiring life-long

readers, Providing instruction through a student-centered program to support student

achievement and college and career readiness, Providing a program through leadership and

collaboration that functions as the information and technology center of the school community”

(ACPS School Library Media Guidelines).

Personal Philosophy:

I believe that reading (or even listening to reading) is a key to success in learning, and therefore

believe that everyone should have free and public access to books and other reading materials

both for pleasure and informational purposes. I believe that another key to success in learning is

the ability to be a life-long learner through the development of problem-solving and critical

thinking skills. I think that students need to be instructed in becoming skilled users of

information, so that they can pursue life-long learning. Lastly, I feel very strongly that a huge

part of my job as a library media specialist is to instill a lasting, life-long love of technology

tools, information resources, books, and reading.

Reflection and Description of Floor Plan

Setting the Stage

I designed my floor plan using The Library Store’s room designer application, and an

image is attached to the last page of this document. The space is modeled after my current media

center at South Penn Elementary School. The media center is large, but oddly shaped. It is

located in the center of the second floor, and the space for the stairs cuts right through it. There

are almost no walls, because the entire second floor is open space. The only walls in the area are

around the closet where the school keeps the computer servers, a small area in the back left
corner which used to serve as a computer lab, and in the front of the library where I had

requested a wall built this summer so that I could have my SMART board mounted to it. In the

plan, you will notice that I have made it so that the walls are a solid black line, while the rest of

the perimeter is just outlined. The entire inside space is carpeted, which provides some sound

absorption as well as a solid outline of the space. The carpet is a neutral blue and the few walls

are painted off-white. Finally, the space has high ceilings and many square skylights throughout

the space that provide natural light, that have the ability to be covered as mentioned by

Formanack in his article “Designing a Facility: Making it a Place Where Every Student

Succeeds” (Formanack 4).

Special Populations and Other Considerations

South Penn has an average enrollment of about 500 students in grades PK-5. The school

is two stories, and as stated before, the media center is on the second story. To accommodate the

needs of all students and staff, there is an elevator located just down the hall from the media

center, which provides access to the second floor. South Penn has a large Emotional Behavior

Syndrome (EBS) program located within the school, which works with students from all over the

county who have been diagnosed with Emotional Behavior Disorders. These students are

included in the general education classrooms at every opportunity possible, and even those who

need to remain in the EBS classrooms, often travel with their peers to the library during their

resource time. Several aspects of my floor plan are designed with these students in mind.

Study and Research Area

There are many formal and informal spaces for study, research, and school work in the

floor plan that I have designed. Students may use any of the seating areas to complete study and

research. If students prefer, or are instructed to, the tables in the instructional area can be used for

work/study. Another formal work space that students may use is the circulation computer tables,
as long as there are no classes checking-out at that time. The circulation computers are a great

place to access the online library catalog, as well as the school resource bookmarked webpages.

If student prefer informal work spaces, they may sit anywhere that is color coded blue such as

the carpets or on the moveable seating. If students need more access to technology for

work/study, they may take a laptop from the cart in the makerspace to use anywhere they choose

to work. The use of technology in the space directly relates to my personal philosophy, in that I

believe students should have the opportunity to develop love for technology tools. It also pertains

to part of the mission of the program, “Providing instruction in information and technology

literacy and its socially responsible use…” (ACPS School Library Media Guidelines).

Keeping special populations in mind, the table work area might become a little tight

which could possibly limit access to those who have limited mobility; however, the tables and

chairs are all easily moved if needed. Another consideration that has been made for the work

area is the addition of wobble chairs to sit at. This particularly helps students who may be

diagnosed with ADHD, as well as the students in the EBS program.

Informal Reading Area

Students may sit anywhere in the space that is color coded blue in the floor plan. There

are two rugs that are available for informal reading, soft modular couches between shelves in the

everyone section, wobble chairs at the tables, and soft movable seating that can be taken to any

safe area of the library. The rug in the instructional area will be the one most utilized for

storytelling. Students may take reading materials to any of these blue spaces around the library.

Students who would like to listen to E-books may take laptops to any of these spaces as well. I

think that having choice of reading areas, as well as soft areas to read, helps to instill the love of

independent reading.
 Formanack states that it is important to have a clear view through the entire media center

space, therefore free standing shelving should be no more than 42 inches in height (Formanack

3). All shelving in the library is movable, double-faced, and no taller than 42 inches in height.

The shelving layout allows ease of access, with most isles being at least 6 feet wide to allow

students to freely move around the shelves. As one enters the space, there is shelving to the left

that holds a seasonal display on one side, and the kindergarten practice book section on the other.

To the right, there is a small, open-faced shelf for periodicals. In the center of the media center,

the everyone section is laid out in an interesting shape to allow for an extra space created in the

middle of it. To the right of that section, everyone nonfiction books will be placed on a shelf

located against a wall; the space between this shelf and the left right of the everyone section

shelving is a smaller aisle, but as stated before the shelves are movable if needed. At the back of

the space, the nonfiction and reference sections are shelved. Finally, around the stairs (which

have a see-through railing) is the fiction section. Easy reads and graphic novels will be pulled out

to invite easier access to those special collections. All sections will have signs hung from the

ceiling above them in large foam letters. The special collections such as graphic novels, easy

reads, and periodicals will have smaller signs on the shelves themselves. There will also be

chalkboard paint on the ends of the shelves to label the call numbers that would be found there,

as well as small shelf markers within the shelves to do the same. Finally, there will be posters of

library and research skills throughout the space in order to create a print-rich environment.

The amount of reading material in each section will be based popularity and curriculum

need. For example, our current school population loves animals, sports, and arts and crafts, so

those sections would house more books than perhaps general works. There is also a large

collection of books to promote social-emotional development, keeping the EBS program in

mind.
Instructional Area

Most of the instruction that might happen in the media center would take place in the

instructional area. Many of the actions stated in the mission will be performed in this space with

students, including direct instruction in the various skills stated and exposure to literature

through read-alouds (ACPS School Library Media Guidelines).There is access to a SMART

board that is mounted to a wall at the front of the space. The board is visible from many places in

the library, so that it can easily be used to display information. Instruction can take place at the

carpet and at the tables. The tables allow for a great place for learning in small groups and

through collaboration. There is a supply shelf, that can be accessed as needed, and a trash can

located toward the front of the instructional space, against the wall. Special populations are

considered in that the tables have wobble chairs placed at them for students who need to move as

they learn. The soft movable seating is also housed in the instructional area, because this seating

is usually a good place for students in the EBS program to “take a break” if needed.

Another area where instruction could take place in is the makerspace. This area will be

used by students in the media center during resource class, but also by small groups of teachers

and students who schedule times to use it. The movable glass wall allows access to this space

without disturbing the normal routines of the library.

Production and Group Project Area

There are many areas available for students to work in groups, and on production projects

in the library space. Students may use any of the seating areas for group work spaces. The tables

and carpets are available for work space, and any of the technology that is located around the

library is available as well. Student may use laptops from the circulation computer area and the

cart, and they may also have access to technologies from the makerspace cabinet such as robotics

materials, ipads, 3D printing pens, etc. upon request.

 The main area for project and production use will be the makerspace in the back left

corner of the media center. Here, students have access to a variety of materials from the cabinet,

such as Legos/Kinects, random building supplies, Keva blocks, art supplies, technology

materials, Makey Makey, little bits, etc. There are several outlets located around the space (only

two are displayed on the floor plan so that the space does not look too crowded, but there are

about 15 total) as a result of the area formerly being a computer lab space. Students may work at

the large maker table in the center, or sit around the space either in movable seating or the floor.

There are also special walls in the space including a Lego wall, green screen wall, and full white

board wall. A rolling glass wall is placed at the front of the area in order to act as a sound barrier

to the space. The materials in the makerspace allow students opportunity to work at their pace,

and at their level, with materials of their choice. I think that these opportunities help to grow life-

long learners.

Administrative Area

The administrative area is located toward the left side of the media center. The space is

defined by a wall of storage and file cabinets in the back, with the circulation desk outlining the

front. This desk is where the LMS will complete administrative work such as processing

materials, planning instruction, and working on collection development. The desk is small

because I personally hate feeling “stuck” behind my desk. Check-in and out can take place at the

circulation desk, but it can also be mobile around the library, using an ipad and wireless scanner.

The desk is placed in a location where the LMS will have the most complete line of sight through

the whole space. If there are spaces around corners that are difficult to view, mirrors will be

placed in order to allow sight to that area.

 In regards to book check-in and returns, students will place their books on the correct

labeled areas of the “return shelf”, which is a small mobile book truck located at the entrance of

the media center. The LMS can take this book truck with her when shelving books.

Finally, the work table area will provide a meeting place for staff meetings and

collaborative planning when not in use by students. This area is great for reading leadership

meetings because the group is surrounded by books!

Other Areas of Consideration

An area to consider, that is not located in the space itself is the computer lab. The

computer lab is located directly across the hall behind the administration area. The computer lab

is a closed room, with large glass windows that allow clear visuals into it. The room seats 30

students and one teacher. Students who are in the media center may access the lab by traveling

through the space between the file cabinets and server closet wall.

One final consideration is the use of display areas. Any available wall and front of shelf

space will be used to display student work, in rotation. The hallway side of the wall that was

built for the instruction area will be home to a bulletin board for more display area. Seasonal

displays will be housed on the opposite side of the kindergarten practice shelf, and on the ends of

the shelves that face the hallways, I like to “dress-up” my shelves every month. Finally, the tops

of the shelves will also be used to display either books or student work as available.

Concluding Thoughts

Overall, I have worked hard to design a space to meet standard 6 of the MSDE Standards for

School Library Media Programs in Maryland (MSDE 6). As stated by the ALA/AASL Standard

3.2 I have created a floor plan that is flexible, openly accessible, and addresses barriers to

physical, social, and intellectual use of the media center (AASL 33). The design also addresses

ALA/AASL Standard 5.3 in that it is created to “enhance the use of information resources and
 services to ensure equitable access to all resources for all users.” The space embraces the nature

of 21st century learning, with spaces that invite the use of technology and collaboration. Students

may freely choose to work, read, and learn in these spaces as allowed; with each space being

available to meet the multiple requirements of the school’s students, staff, and Allegany County

Schools Library Media Program.

Furniture

All furniture is sourced from www.demco.com

Library Shelf Marker Signs from www.libraryskills.com

Work Tables Wobble Chairs Supply Shelf

Everyone Section Rug

Instruction Area Rug Movable Seating
Mobile Shelving Return Shelf
Periodical shelving

Modular Seating Between Shelves Circulation Computer Tables Admin Area Supply Cabinets

Admin Area

File

Cabinets

Circulation Desk Circulation Desk Chair

Foam letter Signage

Makerspace Table Makerspace Cabinet
Shelf Marker Signs
Please use the zoom in view to more easily read it the labels.
 Works Cited
American Association of School Librarians. Empowering Learners; Guidelines for School

Library Media Programs. Chicago: American Library Association, 2009. Print. Accessed

24 January 2018.

Formanack, Gail. Designing a Facility: Making It a Place Where Every Student Succeeds.

American Association of School Librarians 12th National Conference and Exhibition

October 6-9, 2005 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Accessed 15 Jan. 2018.

MSDE Standards for School Library Media Programs in Maryland, Standard 6 Facilities, p. 12-

13. Accessed 24 January 2018.

School Library Media Guidelines. Allegany County Public Schools. 2014-2015.

Accessed 19 January 2018.
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