When I walked into our library on the first day back after Spring Break, I wasn't sure what I thought of the shelves. I knew they were colorful and had that nice smell of new construction. I was pleased to find that they were extra sturdy and I thought the children might see more book covers from the display shelves.
What I didn't expect was the transformation this change of floor plan would have on our library classes. With this new set-up our library is now almost divided into little rooms and these have an effect on the way the kids share books with each other. Instead of calling out across the room, delighted by the books they've just found, or being distracted by classmates asking for help, our students now seem to gravitate to more intimate spaces, whether alone or in small groups. Once there, they explore and enjoy the books in hand.
The children tell me they love it. They like the archway and the reading benches. They can reach every item. More than one have said to me, "It looks like you have a lot of new books!" and that says to me that displays are getting their attention. So to sum it all up, it was worth all the measuring, the decision making, the e-mails, the color choices, the moving out and moving in. We ALL love it.
What I didn't expect was the transformation this change of floor plan would have on our library classes. With this new set-up our library is now almost divided into little rooms and these have an effect on the way the kids share books with each other. Instead of calling out across the room, delighted by the books they've just found, or being distracted by classmates asking for help, our students now seem to gravitate to more intimate spaces, whether alone or in small groups. Once there, they explore and enjoy the books in hand.
The children tell me they love it. They like the archway and the reading benches. They can reach every item. More than one have said to me, "It looks like you have a lot of new books!" and that says to me that displays are getting their attention. So to sum it all up, it was worth all the measuring, the decision making, the e-mails, the color choices, the moving out and moving in. We ALL love it.