Below you will find several resources that can help explain the importance of learning commons to elementary, secondary and higher education. As you read these articles, please note that often times the terms learning commons and information commons are used interchangeable.
Learning Commons at Plymouth State University - The website for the Learning Commons at Plymouth State University’s Lamson Library gives you an excellent overview of what a Learning Commons can look like if it has support from different sectors within the school – academic services and information technology to name two.
Chelsmford High School’s Learning Commons – This article, from the Massachusetts School Library Association, paints a clear picture of the services offered at Chelsmford’s learning commons and can help you understand how this model can be applied at the high school level.
American Association of School Librarians – Standards For the 21st Century Learner. These standards put forth by the American Association of School Librarians speak to the need for technology, information literacy and critical thinking skills among today’s students. This gives interesting background information as it is evident that a learning commons might provide the kind of technological tools and instructional support to foster these skills.
Learning Commons Wiki – This site is the online companion to This website is a companion site to the second edition of the book: The New Learning Commons Where Learners Win! by David V. Loertscher, Carol Koechlin, Sandi Zwaan and Esther Rosenfeld. It features interesting discussions, links to articles of note, professional associations and much more.
Dartmouth College Library Rennovation - This article from an October, 2011 edition of The Dartmouth explains the rationale behind changes to the reference and information desks at Dartmouth College. It describes the benefits of having a single desk to provide a variety of services to library users.
McQuade Library Renovation - This site provides information on the recently completed renovation of Merrimack College's library. It describes the transformation of the reference desk into a one-stop "Research Center".
Dartmouth College Library Rennovation - This article from an October, 2011 edition of The Dartmouth explains the rationale behind changes to the reference and information desks at Dartmouth College. It describes the benefits of having a single desk to provide a variety of services to library users.
McQuade Library Renovation - This site provides information on the recently completed renovation of Merrimack College's library. It describes the transformation of the reference desk into a one-stop "Research Center".
