Facilities Plan Assignment FRIT 7132 Spring 2012 Bhavika Patel I.

Facilities Layout and Analysis The School: The Bacon County High School and Middle School Complex is located on N. Pierce Street in Alma, Georgia. The schools are joined at the center, divided only by their administration offices, and sharing the cafeteria, the library, and the athletic areas. The enrollment of the high school is 478, while the middle school has some 420 registered students. The high school has four grades, from 9th through 12th, while the middle school has students in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. The Current Facility: Upon entering the library from the double doors off the school hallway, there is a check-out desk immediately to your right, and there is a door to the Media Specialists office immediately to your left. Just behind the circulation desk is a whole group of wooden tables and chairs that will seat a total of 32 students. The collection begins along the walls surrounding this seating area, and continues on double sided bookcases that are in rows just past the seating area. At the far end of the room is the reference area, containing two sets of encyclopedias (one from 1996 and one from 2003). There are some yearbooks to go with these sets. There are also dictionaries, thesaurus, atlases, a world globe, and a set of science reference books. Just to the left of the reference area is a small entryway that leads to the second entrance to the library, a set of double doors to the outside. On the right side of this entranceway is a bookshelf that holds the latest magazines for students perusal. However, even though there are several comfortable chairs in this area, it is usually too dark for reading. Most students will pick up a magazine and move to the wooden seating area. I did see one girl with a magazine, leaning over from her chair, trying to let the sunlight catch her pages to she could read from the comfort of the cushioned seating.

On the left side of this entranceway is the third entrance to the library, the door that comes in from the guidance counselor's office. However, this doorway is not encouraged to be used by students and is rather to be considered an emergency exit. Back at the other end of the library, to the left as you enter in, there is a second door that leads to a storage room. This houses TVs, DVD players, VCRs, slide projectors, and other media that may be checked out by staff. And there is one more door on the right and this leads to the small computer room that holds some 14 computers. There are 3 additional computers along the wall, just outside the counselor's office, and there are 2 computers on the circulation desk, bringing the grand total to 19 computers available for use in this library, or about one for every fifty students. Since, as we stated before, there are 898 students in this school, that means there is only one computer available for every 47 students. And that ratio is simply not acceptable.

This is a graph of the current Bacon County High School Library.

Designing the Learning Environment: The good news for Bacon County High School students and staff is that there is currently a new high school being constructed. The school is scheduled to be opening for the 2013 school year, although there is much speculation that the opening may be moved to the second semester due to construction delays. Since there is so much that would need to be changed in the old facility, and since they are actually building a new library, I designed my "dream" library facility. To create this facility, I reached out a grabbed ideas from hundreds of media centers across the country, but the design is totally unique. The centerpiece of the library/media center is a cylindrical bookcase that is some 15' 9" in diameter and is seven feet tall. It is computerized and holds approximately 8,000 books. The person who is checking out the book will simply give the reference number to the clerk, then the clerk will enter the number into the control. The case will rotate to the exact position of the book and it can easily be retrieved for check-out. In front of this bookcase is a semicircular desk with a checkpoint on either end. This is to control access to the rear of the library. At the rear, on both the left and the right, are two computer rooms, each housing 40 computers. The computer room on the right will be for high school students and the computer room on the left will be for middle school students. At the center of the area behind the bookcase will be four rooms. To the back left is a storage area and computer repair room. At the back right is the media specialist/librarian's office. At the front left is a student workroom for designing projects, laminating, and copying. At the front right is a lecture room with seating for 28 students. In the areas to the left and right of the main desk are two revolving doors. The door to the left comes in to an area that has shelving for the latest magazines and newspapers. There is a small reading area to the right of these shelves, along with a printer should the student or staff need to make a copy of an article. The door to the right comes in to an area with a long table set up for ipad, ipod, tablet connections. There is a shelf area that hold magazines with the latest information on electronic downloads for education and sharing. The center of the front wall is divided into three areas. These are the reference section, a laptop, macbook section, and a conference area.

The area to the left is the reference section, with current encyclopedias, current atlas, the latest science, history, georgraphy, economic, and technical information series. And there are three computers in this area that have direct links to the latest online encyclopedias and reference materials for students to browse. The area to the right is the conference area, with seating for 44, a lecturn, and a wall-mounted plasma television that can be easily seen by all participants. The center section is set up for using macbooks and laptops. There are 7 laptops and 8 macbooks in this section for student usage. Overall, the size of the library is tripled. The number of computers increases to 80, plus 3 in the reference section, plus 15 laptops and macbooks, plus docking stations for 12 ipads and tablets. The walls between the areas are glass, the lighting is sufficient for any activity, the seating capacity is now more than 200, and the latest in educational technology is now available for all students and staff.

Bacon County currently does not have a policy regarding Selection Principles and Criteria for forming or adding to their collection. Therefore, I believe that a set of principles and criteria need to be established and put into writing prior to the completion of the new facility. These are some of the things that I believe should be included:

Selection Principles: (1) A media resources budget needs to be set each year, and should be modified in accordance with the economy, increased costs of materials, student and teacher population growth, and the availability of funding (2) A Library Media Advisory Committee needs to be formed and should be consulted during the resource selection process (3) School faculty, whether members of the advisory committee or not, should be consulted about resources needed for core content for their classes, and also for materials that they feel will enhance their ability to educate (4) A team of twelve student media club members (three from each of the high school grades) should be consulted on current resources (5) An attempt should be made to cover the requests and advice of the faculty, the students, and the advisory committee (6) A diversity of materials should be considered, e.g. print and electronic, or possibly both versions of the same material. This is particularly true for reference materials. (7) Duplication of materials and software licensing will be determined by the specific demand for the materials by students and staff (8) The intellectual freedom of students will remain a priority Selection Criteria: (1) Library materials, both electronic and traditional, need to be accessible to students with different abilities, and need to meet the informational needs and interests of all students (2) Specific curriculum needs need to be assessed. Based on this assessment, library media materials should then be selected to reflect the learning outcomes of the educational programs that have been identified (3) Library media materials need to provide a global perspective and should promote diversity. Authors from all cultures should be included in the collection. Diversity should be heralded as a positive aspect of the American society. (4) If a controversial issue is studied or arises, then students have a right to obtain information on both sides of the issue. The library should not allow itself to become a promoter of one side of the situation, but should remain neutral. This is the way that the media made available to students should be selected.

(5) If there are several formats available to teach a subject, then all of these formats should be made available. (6) The information available in the media center/library needs to be current. Recent copyright dates need to be assured in subject materials. This is particularly true in science and technology classes. (7) The selections made need to be acceptable in both literary style and quality. (8) Also, due to budget restraints, the selected materials need to be cost effective, i.e. the students need to gain the most from each dollar spent. (9) Every attempt needs to be made to ensure that the media is appropriate for students with special needs, e.g. handicapped, autistic, ESL Information Ethics: Intellectual Freedom The Bacon County High School Library believes that its students have the right to a school library collection that represents all points of view, that is relevant to today's education, that is both balanced and diverse in its presentation. The Media Center should also adhere to the American Library Associations Interpretation of its Bill of Rights. It is the responsibility of the school Media Specialist to instruct teachers on these areas, and it is the responsiblity of both the Media Specialist and the teachers to then instruct students on this subject. www.businessdictionary.com gives the definition of intellectual property as follows: " Knowledge, creative ideas, or expressions of the human mind that have commercial value and are protectable under copyright, patent, servicemark, trademark, or trade secret laws from imitation, infringement, and dilution. Intellectual property includes brand names, discoveries, formulas, inventions, knowledge, registered designs, software, and works or artistic, literary, or musical nature. It is one of the most readily tradeable properties in the digital marketplace." Our Students and the Issues of Copyright and Plagiarism: The world seems to move faster with each day that passes. In this digital world, students have learned to download music, movies, text, photos, games, apps, and many other things on a daily basis. It is vital that these students are taught to use the works or others in a correct and legal way. The media specialist needs to strive to ensure that students practice correct measures when seeking and using electronic information so that they do not infringe on another's copyright and so that they do not plagiarize. Standards for the 21st Century Learner states that "Ethical Behavior in the use of

information must be taught. In this increasingly global world of information, students must be taught to seek diverse perspectives, gather and use information ethically, and use social tools responsibly and safely." Students should receive instruction concerning intellectual freedom and the rules concerning intellectual property at least twice a year. In addition, teachers should also receive a review at least once a year or as requested by the administration. Budget Issues: The mission of the Bacon County High School Library is to produce student learners who think critically, are able to make informed decisions, can collaborate with one another in an ethical manner, and who possess the desire to learn. They need to acquire the skills to be able to go out and learn on their own in order to satisfy their personal interests and goals. Since this is our mission, and it is far reaching in its ramifications, it is absolutely essential that both our students and our staff have access to the most updated, and the very best in materials and educational technology. The current budget for the Bacon County High School Library is roughly 8% of the overall education budget for the year. The budget, at the very minimal, should be doubled. 16% of the budget should be allocated for the library / media center. Collection The collection is miserably outdated. The average age of materials in the library is more than twenty years old. This is particularly bad in the science and technology areas. Further, some of the teachers are requesting new textbooks for their classes for the upcoming schoolyear. These sets of books will also have to come out of the library budget. At a minimal, another 20% should be added to the budget to meet these needs. So, that would put us up to a 19.2% request overall. Technology Unless they are able to experience and practice current educational technology, there is no way that students and staff will ever become 21st Century Learners. Our computers are outdated, our available software is minimal. We need to seek out alternative funding for computer workstations for each classroom that can tie into the media center. Further funding needs to be found to cover additional computers, laptops, ipads and other tablets, video cameras, docking stations, e-book site licenses, content practice sites, batteries and chargers, headphones, keyboards, printers, and ink. At a minimal, an additional 20% should be added to the budget to meet these needs. We are now up to a 23% overall request. Magazines and Newspapers

Most of our students who study economics, social studies, science, or political science are required to read articles in magazines and newspapers on events that take place in these fields. Currently, we only have a subscription to Newsweek, Time, and Popular Science. Some of the staff bring in their own magazines and donate them to the library. However, to ensure that we have adequate periodicals available for all students, we need to seek additional funding for these purchases. It may be possible to get the PTA or the Red Raider Booster Club to help the library in these areas. Our newspapers include to once weekly Alma Times, the once weekly News Courier, and the Sunday Edition of the Florida Times Union. If funding can be found, it would be nice to add the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times to our subscriptions. Personnel and Collaboration: The Bacon County High School Library and Media Center cannot meet its goals without solidifying collaborative relationships and partnerships as follows: (1) The Media Specialist / Librarian and Teachers - The media center is actually an extention of the classroom. As such, the media specialist can enhance each lesson plan with educational technology and resources, as opposed to the traditional print only source, e.g. the textbook. The MS/L can show students and teachers alike exactly where to locate the information that they need, and at the same time he/she can give instruction in 21st Century Information Literacy Skills. Further, if requested, the media specialist can usually provide printouts of current materials and information for the topic in question. These additions to the traditional educational format can only improve the process. (2) The Media Specialist / Librarian and Students - The media specialist can build relationships with students that will last far beyond their high school years. It is a good idea to include students in planning procedures in the library/media center. Students, who somehow seem to stay one step ahead of adults in new technology, are asked what resources they would alike added to the media center. They are made to feel that they are a part owner in the center, and in fostering this feeling, the media specialist believes the students are more likely to use and enjoy the resources that are available. (3) The Media Specialist / Librarian and the Principle - The media specialist should work closely with the principle and should let them know when new technology and/or software is made available that can have a positive effect on the educational process and that will be beneficial to students using the center. The principle, hopefully, will be a strong believer in collaboration, and should be delighted to see the media specialist / librarian working closely with teachers to ensure the successful matriculation of students.

(4) The Media Specialist and Media Center Staff - At present, the library does not have a staff beyond the MS / L. However, several volunteers from the community have indicated that they would like to volunteer in the center with the move to the new school. The new library / media center will be quite larger than the current one, and the volunteers will be a welcome addition to the staff at the center. Their assistance will be greatly appreciated, and we will try to schedule their time in a manner that will assure us of their help for a long time in the future. (5) Currently, there is not a Library Advisory Committee, but this MS feels that one should be formed. The committee will be dedicated to ensuring that the entire school is serviced by the media center. The committee's mission for the new school year, as we enter the new school and the new media center, will be to help integrate more educational technology into each and every classroom. The recommendations for those who should be included on the advisory committee are: (1) The High School Principal (2) The Middle School Principal (3) One Teacher from each Grade Level, 6th through 12th (4) The Special Education Teacher from Middle School (5) The Special Education Teacher from High School (6) The Computer Technology Teacher (7) One Student from Each Grade, 6th through 12th (8) The President of the PTA It is hoped that the advisory committee can be instrumental in making the transition from old school to new, from old center to new, and from the old traditional format of teaching to the new educational technology that will help our students become 21st Century Information Seeking Learners.