Learning is Noisy, Messy, and Fun!

Since I am a public educator, I am grateful to have my summers "off."  And like any public educator, I know that "off" really means that I'm working off and on throughout June, July, and August, but I am just not as pressured, necessarily, to meet any deadlines--except the ones I create for myself.  I'm one of those people who thrives on keeping busy, so I enjoy summer as a chance to explore and learn and develop myself professionally and personally.

With my new role as a school library information specialist in the fall, I can't help but spend quite a bit of time at my public library to soak up ideas.  They recently completed a renovation that includes what I'd like to see in my learning commons: flexible and comfortable seating, open space, great lighting, hands-on and interactive activities, and cool colors.  It's no wonder that I see kids, including my own, dash into the library and make a beeline right for Forge (the makerspace) or the renovated kids' section.  They clearly are excited to spend time there.  And who am I kidding?  I'm giddy to go there, too!  I can't say that my library when I was growing up ever made me this excited. Sure, I loved picking out books or going to a story time, but modern libraries are just so cool now.

As a result, it was a bit disheartening today when my boys and I were just about to leave, energized from our visit that included Ollie, checking out Make magazines, and discussing 3d printing, when we saw what appeared to be a day camp group turn the corner, full of smiles and happy chatter and making that familiar beeline to the children's department, only to be scolded by their counselor.  Sternly, she said, "We are in a library.  We must be quiet!"  I couldn't help but be stopped in my tracks. I felt bad for the kids.  There they were completely thrilled for their visit to the library only to be told that their enthusiasm was inappropriate and must stop.

Hold up.  Don't we want kids to be excited about learning?  Don't we want them to spend time in their library, learning new ideas, reading books, and trying out new technology?  It seems to me that we have reached a point when there are two strands of thinking about libraries.  Some still hold on to the fact that they are these sacred warehouses of books where everyone must be quiet and sit in uncomfortable wooden chairs that are lined up in rows.  A more recent philosophy is focused on the patron and 21st century skills, making the space comfortable, fun, and interactive.  So what does this mean?  It means that libraries are noisy.  Libraries are messy.  Libraries are fun.  This is exactly why I'm so thrilled for my new role because there is just so much more out there.  So much potential. So much to learn!  I'm just as excited as the kids entering the space, and, like them, have a hard time containing it!