When I joined Megan Cope Elementary School as its new principal in 2021, it was pretty clear that our media center was in need of a facelift. After speaking with our library media tech specialist Renee Moore about some of the simpler steps that could be taken, we sat down and devised a full modernization plan for the space.
At the time, I had just come from a district that had renovated its media center and it was a real game-changer. Using elements like soft and flexible seating, the media center was transformed into a space that engaged the whole school community.
I wanted to see that same enthusiasm and support infused into Megan Cope Elementary’s media center, but achieving that goal would take some work. Here are the four top indicators that told us it was time to make the leap:
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1. The current space is dull, uninviting, and uninspiring. We wanted to make our media center a happy, inviting place, but it was very, very sterile. “It’s this big room that reminded me of a hospital waiting room,” said Moore. “It was really difficult for me with our limited funding to make it very friendly.” She had put up a Lego wall and tried to make a few other updates, but at the end of the day the media center just really needed a makeover.
2. There’s no opportunity to “extend” learning outside of the classroom. We also wanted a learning space that could serve as an “extension” of our classrooms, and with a particular focus on literacy. Improving our student’s reading abilities and literacy skills has been one of our main pushes over the last few years because our data indicated we really needed to have literacy at the forefront. What better place than the library?
3. The lack of space is constrictive. We wanted the kids to come in for library time, pick up a book and get excited about reading in a warm, cozy space—things that were definitely lacking with our current setup. We also wanted to use the media center as a space for parent engagement and parent meetings—and for staff to come in and get their work done. Teachers would also be using the facility for weekly staff and leadership team meetings.
4. It’s just not conducive to 21st-century learning. An aging, tired media center that doesn’t have power outlets doesn’t support the needs of today’s elementary school students or teachers. Our new space is equipped with an ample number of power stations that students can use to power their Chromebooks and teachers use to charge their computers. All of the furniture and bookshelves are wheeled, which means teachers can move them around to accommodate the immediate learning environment. I especially like the space’s amphitheater seating and leveled benches.
Step-by-step media center facelift
As a starting point, we came up with ways to maximize the current media center space and make it more inviting and engaging for both students and teachers. We started talking about what we could do to spice this library up and also spoke with the assistant superintendent of educational services about potential funding for the project.
Working with MiEN, we came up with a great concept for our new media center. Having this company as our partner played an important role in the project’s success, particularly when it came to the planning stages and picking out flexible and sustainable furniture, cabinets, and fixtures.
We also asked students to share what they love about the new space in a type of “before and after” format. We listened to what they love and what features of this new library make them feel excited about being here. Having that buy-in, getting everybody involved and then getting the support from individuals who can help fund the project are some of the important steps we took to make this project a success.
