I'm thinking out loud, internet.
Pros
Much less visual distraction in the library. There might BE 400+ people walking by but at least we will only see them through the door opening (no actual door ... just an opening).
Much less messy shelves because there will be so fewer books ... and they won't be in the hallway where "idle" hands waiting during class restroom breaks or to be picked up from lunch mess with them.
Right now new wall shelves would not be part of the deal. It would just mean taking all the books off of one side of our current shelves and pushing them up against the new wall.
Maybe weeding that much could be good. Could only keep the best of the best.
Cons
Would that really help with the noise? The librarian where I took this picture? Says only slightly.
That's a LOT less shelf space ... thousands of books. Thousands. And a fair amount of floor space that we'd lose bringing everything inside. So will it feel claustrophobic. And just be ugly with (unless things changed) these big white shelves (they are like ... I don't know. 30 inches deep? 'cause they are double sided ...) with shelves pushed up against the wall.
Would this mess up our wireless? Cause right now? The library is the only space in the school where it works fairly decently and reliably.
Would make it hard for a class to be checking out at the same time a class was here for a lesson. If I never did that (cause I am lucky enough to have an assistant at least part of the time) we'd either lose a lot of circulation (even though kiddos can always come on passes some teachers are better than others at sending them) or a lot of lessons. Though the lessons we HAD would be much more focused because of fewer distractions.
Trying to wrap my head around also losing what little office corner I had (where does one keep any sort of task card or station signs or more tactile stuff like puppets or crayons or personal books that don't go out and can't be stored on a hard drive if you don't even have an office corner? And no storage closet)? Also lock up a jacket and purse (not that I actually can lock them up now ... but at least it's not a corner where people can walk through easily)? Only got to sit there for like four minutes a day to gobble down something but at least it was space that was sort of mine. Had to ask people not to just go through and "borrow" my things. And about half of our circ desk.
Did NOT expect this when TPTB came by today. Was expecting to discuss the "transformation plan" as I'd written it (creation of a small makerspace/recording studio ... basically closet). This one completely ... well, completely negates that. So glad I bothered with stressing over it. :P
But the chance for maybe walls and not be Grand Central Station. Just ... central station. That's hard to just ignore.
Man, that is a lot to consider. I am not sure which way I would go-the cons seem to out way the pros. But then, my library is set back and I actually have a hallway that leads into it too. So there is only my library traffic. Course all that will be gone next year, our entire school is being modernized and going from a k-3 to a k-5. Good luck with whatever decision is made.
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