Re)Designing the library through school community participation

Designing a school library presents exciting and sometimes daunting challenges. It can bring the whole school community together in a shared creative purpose. Before determining what the library will look like, it is important to identify who we are designing it for, and why. A participatory design approach, as outlined in this paper, can assist in generating evidence-based responses to these questions. With the view that school libraries are essential social learning spaces, I share suggestions for enabling all interested stakeholders to have a voice in designing their own school library. I use the term ‘library’ in a broad sense, recognising that each school community is different, and that individual expectations of a library vary. To illustrate participatory designing in practical contexts, I include references to some school-based case studies. These highlight how participatory principles apply to both new building and renovation projects, irrespective of size or budget.