This module really made sense to me. As a preschool teacher, I greatly understand the importance of how a space is set up. In early childhood education, you will often hear educators refer to the classroom as the third teacher. The classroom layout can encourage certain types of play, diminish conflict within the classroom, encourage collaboration, promote independence, dictate the flow of the room and so on. The environment is extremely important for early childhood education, and why would that change as we grow up. I appreciated Eric Klinenberg’s statement, “this environment ‘shapes our behavior in ways we’ve failed to recognize’” (Klinenberg, 2018) because it is so true. The way an environment is set up, designed, decorated etc. greatly influences how we feel in the space, how we utilize the space, and how we interact in the space whether we are a preschooler or a grandparent. This module really reinforced the importance of space design and how it will pretty much influence absolutely everything about that place and that space.
For me, as someone who is hoping to become a children’s librarian, I can see how this will greatly influence how I will approach the children’s area of the library, not only as a place for books, reading, and learning, but also a place for play, community, and connection. I want to also highlight what Pam Sandlian Smith stated in her TedTalk video. She stated, “You can learn anything if you make it playful.” Again, this is essentially the prevailing belief when it comes to early childhood education—children learn through their play. So, why wouldn’t a library space meant for children, be a space that also promotes play. I loved the example that Professor Stephens gave in his lecture, the picture showing how the library stacks doubled as a climbing space. How creative, and how fun! I would have loved to read on top of one of those shelves when I was a kid. I can’t wait to create spaces like that for the future children that I hope to serve.
References
Gaetani, M. (2018, November 11). Q&A with Erik Klinenberg. Center for Advanced Studies in Behavioral Studies. https://casbs.stanford.edu/news/qa-eric-klinenberg.
TEDx Talks. (2013, Decmember16). What to expect from libraries in the 21st century: Pam Sandlian Smith at TEDxMileHigh [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa6ERdxyYdo&t=669s.
White, B. (2016, August 25). Boy sitting on bench while holding a book [Photo]. https://unsplash.com/photos/boy-sitting-on-bench-while-holding-a-book-4K2lIP0zc_k.
Rachel – it’s so interesting to think about what social infrastructure might look like in the children’s library setting. I like this idea. I’m glad those examples resonated with you about library spaces for kids that are made for children who we know like to climb on things.