I love how once in a while, a little bit of perfect language acts like a lens and beams clarity right into my brain. I'm sitting here reviewing Standards for the 21st Century Learner in Action, and I just ran across this fantastic description:
"The school library media center serves as a laboratory of active learning where students may develop their skills, hone their attitudes, practice their responsibilities independently, and regulate their own learning."
I freaking love this. It meshes wonderfully with everything else I've been pondering. It takes the focus off of the books and puts it onto the learners. Looking at a library as a kind of lab makes so much more sense. It's the one place in a school where students can work independent of a curriculum, with as many resources as possible, including a librarian. Looking at it that way not only opens up possibilities for the inclusion of a variety of non-traditional resources, but also affirms the importance of the library as place. Sure, lots of stuff is available online, but the school library should be a safe, welcoming place for exploration; it's within the school but outside rigid class requirements.
Love love love. Yay perspective!
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