I love the movie You’ve Got Mail. In one of the scenes, Tom Hanks tells Meg Ryan via email that he is working on a project that needs “tweaking”. Now, the word has some different meanings in today’s world, but the basic definition of tweaking is improve a system by making fine adjustments. I think it’s the perfect word to describe my approach to my school library. I’m always tweaking something. Although, to be fair, sometimes my approach feels more like massive complete and utter overhaul. But once the initial changes are made, tweaking is my ongoing practice.
I am someone who loves change. Now, don’t get me wrong, try to change my daily routines or habits and I am not a happy person. And change without purpose or clear direction is exhausting and daunting and scary. But change in my school library, change for a good reason? Now that I can get behind.
Importance of change
I think change is vitally important. It prevents stagnation. It helps us ensure our library services, lessons, collections and spaces remain fresh and revenant. Change can help respond to a need, prevent a problem or solve an issue. Change can also promote creativity and capture attention.
Here’s a few things we’ve changed in the last few months
- Location of the study area and creation of a reading area
- Lunchtime activities, including the introduction of a range of new activities to help us keep students off screens.
- My library lessons for the year, just a few small changes to how I ran things last year.
- My planning and approach, getting more organised.
- Where the graphic novels, new books and biographies are located.
Do you like to embrace change in your library? What’s something you’ve changed recently?