Last year, I wrote a post on five of my favorite makerspace books for school librarians. One of my other favorite topics to research is library and learning space design, so this post will focus on that topic. I’m currently working on a book on this subject for ISTE tentatively called Reimagining Library Spaces: Transform Your Space on Any Budget. It’s not on the web yet, but it will be released in the fall. :) Many of these books are ones that I’ve read or re-read as I’ve been working on it. This is not an exhaustive list, but it includes some of my favorite books for thinking about learning and library space design. Many of them have LOTS of beautiful visuals to give you tons of inspiration.
Note: Two of the books from my makerspace list are also some of my favorites for learning space design: The Third Teacher and Make Space. I want this post to focus on titles I haven’t reviewed on here yet, but make sure you check out those two if you haven’t yet.
Books to Inspire Your Library Space Design
The Library Book: Design Collaborations in Public Schools
I just finished this one and it’s one of my new favorites. It features 50 case studies of schools in New York City that were renovated as a part of a collaborative project between charitable organizations and architects. It features lots of color photos, blueprints, and explanation. One of my favorite sections of the book is how all the artwork and decorations were created through collaborative workshops (poetry, art and writing) with the students at the school.
The Space: A Guide for Educators
This one is not geared specifically towards libraries, but it’s definitely worth the read. It’s designed beautifully and is geared toward rethinking our school spaces. More like an artist’s workbook than a textbook, the authors guide you through questions and exercises to go through with your students as you reimagine your space.
The Language of School Design: Design Patterns for 21st Century Schools
This book looks at the whole school and reimagines traditional spaces in new ways. Written by architects, this book is a fantastic resource if you are working on a new construction or renovation project. Even if you have no renovation budget right now, the visuals alone are enough to give you some great ideas for transforming your space. (Read my full review on my blog here.)
Library Spaces for 21st Century Learners: A Planning Guide for Creating New School Library Concepts
This book takes a different perspective from many of the other books on my list. Rather than focusing solely on library space design, this book takes you through a systematic process of planning. It guides you through surveying your population, forming a focus group, making observations about your space, and then translating all of that information into a plan for your library space.
Get Active: Reimagining Learning Spaces for Student Success
This book inspired my six active learning spaces post. The authors focus on active learning space models and how to facilitate active learning in your school. It is mainly based in the classroom, but the ideas can apply to school libraries. (Read my full review on my blog here.)
From the Campfire to the Holodeck: Creating Engaging and Powerful 21st Century Learning Environments
David Thornburg is one of the leading researchers on learning space design. This book updates his primordial learning metaphors theory. The four metaphors for learning spaces are campfire, watering hole, cave, and life. It’s a fascinating, research-driven look at learning spaces. (Read my full review on my blog here.)
Author: Diana Rendina
Diana Rendina, MLIS, is the media specialist at Tampa Preparatory, an independent 6-12 school. She was previously the media specialist at Stewart Middle Magnet School for seven years, where she founded their library makerspace. She is the creator of the blog RenovatedLearning.com & is also a monthly contributor to AASL Knowledge Quest. Diana is the winner of the 2016 ISTE Outstanding Young Educator Award, the 2015 ISTE Librarians Network Award, the 2015 AASL Frances Henne Award & the 2015 SLJ Build Something Bold Award. She is an international speaker on the Maker Movement and learning space design and has presented at conferences including AASL, FETC & ISTE. Diana co-authored Challenge-Based Learning in the School Library Makerspace and is the author of Reimagining Library Spaces: Transform Your Space on Any Budget.
Categories: Blog Topics, Makerspaces/Learning Commons
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