Library as Classroom: Humanness at the Center

Having worked in both public and academic library settings in my life, I’ve had the opportunity to see how “the classroom” looks between different kinds of library spaces. In exploring this module, and thinking about the hyperlinked library module, the Library as Classroom idea is universal at it’s core. Lifelong learning is one of those library-specific phrases that you can find in almost any library’s mission statement. We love to use it, but what does it mean? To me, lifelong or infinite learning is about understanding library users and whole human beings. They bring a wide variety of experiences and skills and perspectives to the library space, and when we think of the library as a classroom, we are thinking of it as a space for folks to engage, discover, and develop into even more multifaceted human beings.

Curtin University’s 23 Things identify five core skills that guide lifelong learning:

Curiosity – true engagement with the world

Creativity – daydreaming and wandering

Initiative – making those creative ideas happen

Multidisciplinary Thinking – use your hyperlinks: people, places, resources

Empathy – deep connections with others

Context is key for developing a Library as Classroom space. Learning opportunities in the library work best when framed by an understanding of the library’s users and what’s important to them. Helping patrons access and polish the abstract skills above will look different depending on your library and your user base.

Something that I’d like to see in my current academic library workplace is emphasis on our users as humans, not just as students or faculty. Workshops on research skills and database tips and tricks are important for their success, but the students I see studying late into the night bring with them their own experiences and skills. Especially with our regular familiar faces, I wonder: what’s your why? Where do you want your work here to take you? What are you most curious about? Asking these kinds of questions would help us understand our students and design library services that support these five core skills of lifelong learning.

Curtin University. (2026, July 27). Thing – Getting Started. 23Things. https://23things.library.curtin.edu.au/portfolio/thing-getting-started/