HIT: Computer Lab in LMC - With or Without Walls? PART I

[Cheryl Townsley <townsley@tenet.edu>]

Dear LM-NET,
     Thank all of you who sent messages so much!  I have received
several replies and am working on the rest of the hit.  You have given
me many things to think about and I find it comforting to know that we
are all in this together.
Happy Holidays.        P.S. I hope this works, I have never posted a
hit.

We are about to remodel our high school library.  We are scheduled to
get a computer research lab with about 30 computers.

What is the groups opinion on:
     a) Libraries with labs and no walls (30 computers)
     b) Libraries with labs and walls to separate the lab from the
        rest of the library.


Whatever you do, put walls between the computer lab and the LMC. I had a
25-station lab with open window spaces between it and the large-group
viewing area of my elementary media center for a couple of years after
the
lab and center were built, and it was chaos. I realize elementary
students
may be more excited and noisy about using computers than high school
students are, but the problem with noise from the lab when I was trying
to
read to a group in the media center was severe. Eventually I got glass
put
in the spaces, and now we have very little problem. I can still see into
the lab, but the sound doesn't carry through. I don't try to have a
totally
quiet media center, but I do ask the children to use their "indoor"
voices
when they talk to each other.

We just went through a renovation.  Our lab is seperated from the
library with a wall of glass block.  Do seperate  because of the
talking.  The glass blocks let the light through but not the distraction
of clear galss. Also the wall does not go to the ceiling.  Allows for
air circulation..  El. School

Glass walls. You'll want glass walls - floor to celing so you can SEE.
The walls will help cut down the noise and distractability for each
class using the space.....

Go for a lab without solid walls.  Flexible walling can be used when and
if the lab needs to be set off from the rest of the LMC.  Opem areas
afford better visiblity, are easier to monitor, and, aesthically, open
areas are preferable. Enclosed classrooms/labs may be appropriated for
other uses if enrollment increases or new programs need space.  (This
ALWAYS happens sooner than you think)

We are getting prepared to convert the room next to my LMC into a
30-computer lab (all on-line, of course).  I made it *very* clear in
advance that I cannot supervise the lab and perform my librarian duties
simultaneously. Thus, it will remain locked unless a teacher brings
entire class and stays there to supervise them.  During seminar (we are
on block schedule), the business teacher will supervise that area.
I do have 7 student stations within the LMC located in an L-shape
configuration so that I can easily observe the screen from the
circulation desk (I have a tall chair).
I would say that if you decide on walls, don't try to be 2 places at the
same time...you will either lose your sanity, or the kids will be doing
things that are not productive!   High School.

In my elementary library I have a lab with 25 computers. In
my library I have five other computers.  The one wall of the lab that
faces my library has very large glass windows looking out to the library
(the other three wall of the lab are brick).  The two entrances to the
lab are on the wall with the windows.  Thus, the only way to enter the
lab is through the library.  I find this very difficult.  Every forty
minutes a herd of students is entering the lab while another herd is
exiting.  I have high ceilings & great accoustics in the library so
students often raise their voices.  Talking to students/teachers has not
done anything.  Even if they enter quietly it is disruptive having a
large group move through the library.  If I am doing storytime / SSR /
teaching a group of students I lose their attention while they look to
see if friends/siblings are in the class heading for the lab.  The
impact on special activities such as book fairs/haunted houses/meetings
is also considerable.  Since there is no teacher assigned to the lab I
have assumed de facto responsibilty of it.  Not that I am compensated,
my hours increased (I am only part time) or my other responsibilities
decreased!  I lock/unlock the lab, turn on/off all 25 computers,
troubleshoot & repair hardware/software problems daily, liason between
the offsite computer curriculum teacher, the offsite computer technician
and onsite teachers, monitor use of the lab, schedule classes,  fix the
printer, replace paper in the printer, clean the room (no one else does
& it gets incredibly messy), decorate the lab, act as a guard against
unsupervised students using the lab, supervise classes & individual
students etc.  I could go on & on ... I fear I have already.  As you can
see, it is a big part of my job that I resent.  My library does suffer,
I am behind in my cataloguing & I simply don't think it is fair to me.
I think the worst part is that I do all this extra work & nobody notices
or says thank you.  I want to be a librarian, not a computer technician.
The glass windows allow me to see if any high jinks are going on in the
lab but we have the stict board-wide policy that students must be
supervised by a teacher in the room.  Things may be very different in a
High school but unless you have an assistant I don't see how anyone can
do two jobs at once.

I will send more in Part II. Thank you again.

Cheryl Townsley
Librarian
L. D. Bell High School
Hurst, TX

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