What Killed the Library?

There is no doubt that our libraries are changing: adding technology and subtracting quiet reference spaces. When I was young I visited my school library to do homework, read a magazine or check out new novels.  We had no study halls, and the library was the only spot to hang out during our free periods. As a beginning teacher I relied on the library to supply my students with reading and reference materials.  Now that I am a school librarian I find that those are no longer reasons to use a library or media center.
The truth is that most teachers have a wealth of reading material in their classroom libraries and find it so much more convenient to keep these at arm's reach.  And one-to-one devices such as Chromebooks and iPads have completely changed the way we do research.  When teachers want students to look something up in a book they will find means to have a set of such books in the classroom. That leaves nothing up to chance.  There is no longer any need to seek out the library or computer staff to find materials, and scheduling no longer depends on media center availability. 

So as the classrooms become more self-contained, the library books gather dust.  Some schools have done away with both libraries and computer labs.  They found that the only use for these areas was to house a study hall or give the elementary teachers a much needed break from their class. But in other schools the libraries didn't go away, they evolved into Media Centers, Maker Spaces and Cooperative Learning areas.
I found myself redefining my library space, both for High Schoolers and Elementary.  First I had to determine what I could provide that the classrooms could not.  For High School it was easy.  They wanted a space to print out and display their work.  There was a need for craft supplies, paper and printer.  The area had large tables for making large banners along side a paper and die cutter.  I had originally thought teachers may want the space to be an alternative setting for students to make up tests and quizzes.  But it became more of a cooperative space where students could collaborate without disturbing classmates in their normal classroom routine. The space was used heavily before and after school for homework and checking out Chromebooks.  The books on the shelves were never checked out, although they would get leafed through while students waited for the computer to load. 

The elementary was more of a challenge because each class was dropped off for a 25 minute period in order to give each teacher a break.  There is little more that could be accomplished during that short time other that allowing students to browse and check out books.  The challenge came when students either forgot to return their books, and could not check out new ones, or they simply didn't want to check out a book from the library.  One fourth grader explained that all the books he could possible want to read were either in his classroom or at home.  These students were using the time as recess, a break to socialize or relax. 
After setting up science tables, building and craft materials, and puzzles, I allowed the students to socialize while working together on one of these activities. The time limit was still an issue, and students wanted to maximize their time in the media center which led to disputes over who got to do what, instead of collaboration.  Some activities, like the small robot, had to be 'checked' out like a book would be, and students would take turns according to the waiting list. Both a joy and a challenge was the way most students prefer to work together than individually.  They crowd round the Legos and leave the craft table empty.  Although I want students to work together, and have their choices reflect their interests, I don't want students to follow the crowd blindly, rushing to the next hot idea. I want them to develop their interests and follow their passions, individually or as a small group, in a way that would not be possible in a classroom where all are following the same curriculum.  So students need to be both forced to try new things, and left to develop their strengths.
Traditional school libraries are all but dead.  However, the three C's of Cooperation, Communication and Collaboration are keeping these areas alive by bringing students together in ways that a normal classroom cannot afford to accommodate.