Chchchchchanges.....

When the question came up in lesson 13 about changing the physical space of your library, I had vivid dreams about what I would write in hopes to not miss out on any of my ideas.  I am an action kind of person and find it hard to cool my heels in a new school environment in order to respect previous TLs and their systems, as well as take care to not bulldoze over staff and their ideas and needs.  I also have been a TOC by choice for a long time, I am flexible and adaptable and when I got my new job in my own library I saw that with time and planning, there were more possibilities for dramatic change.

However, when presented with the opportunity to change everything you always think of the limitations as well as the possibilities.  I wanted to do so much and this week it all might happen.  Two workmen from the district visited my library unexpectedly a few weeks ago asking a few questions, taking lots of pictures, taking measurements.  They said they were assessing every library in the district.  I thought nothing of it, money is tight, right? Well this week something amazing and unexpected happened to me.  My VP sat me down and informed me that I would be getting all new shelving.  We had been planning to mount the interactive whiteboard, I had already discussed with my admin at length about creating a 'learning commons' feel instead of just a traditional library feel. We had bought an ipad for my inquiry table and for OPAC searches to save on space.  I had been planning a huge weed and to start an inventory, and to hopefully streamline a very crowded library.  All of a sudden, we have the potential to change everything.  All we have to do is let the workmen know where the shelves need to go and how high they should be. 

I enlisted the pro,  Gordon Powell and we are well on our way to not just 'make a few changes', but to create a learning commons for A. B. Dixon Elementary.  In the next few years my budget will probably go to completing the task fully, but I am up for this exciting experience.  Honestly though, it is very scary, my first year in my own library...this is a one shot situation, the pressure is on!