Haymon-Morris Middle School Winder, Georgia Media Center Facilities Plan Amy Yarbrough FRIT 7132 October 20, 2008 … where caring, patience, and consistency

Haymon-Morris Middle SchoolWinder, Georgia

Media Center Facilities Plan

Amy Yarbrough

FRIT 7132

October 20, 2008

… where caring, patience, and consistency

inspire excellence.

Haymon-Morris Middle School (HMMS) Facts

• Due to the growing size of Barrow County, HMMS opened August 2005

• HMMS is conveniently located off of GA HWY 316 (connects Athens and Atlanta); approximately 20 miles from Athens, Georgia and 40 miles from Atlanta, Georgia

• Serves grades 6th, 7th, and 8th and approximately 786 students

• 40 Certified Teachers• Non-Title 1 School

Welcome to the HMMS Media Center

The front entrance to the Media Center is typically drab; however, we caught the MC on a good day…the Scholastic Book Fair is here! Parent volunteers are working with a jungle-themed book fair, and they have added a paper tree and book fair news to the exterior.

Philosophy of Georgia School Media Services*

In Georgia, commitment to providing quality

media programs is evidenced through

seeking cooperatively planned, instructionally

related, unified media services that are

developed at the local level, accessible to

teachers and students, and effectively managed

by media professionals.

*HMMS does not have a personal philosophy. As a school district, Barrow County has adopted the philosophy of the Georgia School Media Services.

Library Goals1. Participate effectively in the school program as it

strives to meet the needs of pupils, teachers, parents, and other community members.

2. Provide students with the library, materials and services most appropriate and most meaningful in their growth and development as individuals.

3. Stimulate and guide students in all phases of their reading so that they may find increasing enjoyment and satisfaction and may grow in critical judgment and appreciation.

4. Provide an opportunity through library experiences for students to develop helpful interests, to make satisfactory personal adjustments, and to acquire desirable social attitudes.

Library Goals

5. Help students become skillful and discriminating users of libraries and of printed and other media.

6. Introduce students to the community of libraries as early as possible and cooperate with those libraries in their efforts to encourage continuing education and cultural growth.

7. Work with teachers in the selection and use of library materials which enhance student learning.

8. Participate with teachers and administrators in programs for continuing professional and cultural growth of the school staff.

Accessible Media Center

The Barrow County Schools System insures maximum use of school media resources. Media Centers are open every day that school is in session. The centers are not closed to facilitate meetings or testing programs, and centers accommodate students before and/or after the school day.

Student Visit Opportunities& Check-Out Policies

• Each ELA class is scheduled to visit the Media Center every two weeks for approximately 25 minutes

• Students may visit the Media Center during “Homebase”: 8:00am – 8:30am

• Students may check-out up to two books• Once one book is overdue, students are not

permitted to check out additional books• Students are not charged or fined for late

books

Media Center Photo Tour

The Media Center is located in the middle of the school building. While this is a great location as it welcomes teachers, parents, and visitors, the location “boxes” the Media Center in. The effect of being “boxed in” limits the amount of natural sunlight and the opportunity to utilize an exterior entrance. Natural sunlight is limited to second story skylights that

project a small amount of light onto the first floor and book inventory. The exterior entrance would be a welcome addition due to accessibility for library functions such as book fairs, as well as encouraging the public to utilize the Media Center.

Media Center Front Door Entrance


Circulation Desk

The circulation desk is conveniently located in the center of the Media Center. The center location allows the Media Specialist to not only assist students with circulation issues, but also monitor students browsing bookshelves, using the computers, and reading at tables.


Storage and resources located behind the circulation desk

This space houses computer lab sign-ups, magazines available for check-out, and new library books awaiting coding and computer entry.


Storage room located behind the circulation desk

This room houses a laminating machine and colored butcher paper. This room also serves as a side entrance as teachers may use this door to access the library.


Fiction Section – Part One

The fiction section is adequately stocked with newly published books and middle school classics. The only negative aspect of the fiction section is that it is divided between two sections of the Media Center. This is the main section, while the remaining books are displayed on the following slide.


Fiction Section – Part Two

4 Student Computers

This is often the forgotten area of the Media Center. Due to the divided location of the fiction section, students often forget to browse this area. It is tucked into a back corner behind computers and is easily overlooked.

Four student computers are also available in front of the fiction section. The computers are internet accessible, and allow students to search the library catalog.

You may also notice the rear entrance behind the colorful story quilt.


Non-Fiction Section

The non-fiction section houses many sought-after books. Middle school students love to learn about new things, read about historical events (they like to expand their knowledge and add to their social studies' lessons), and find out how things work. The biography section is located on the opposite wall.


Biography Section

4 Student Computers

This section of the Media Center is usually filled with students searching for biographies about the latest teen heartthrob, pop star, and top athlete.

Four additional student computers are also located on this side of the library.


Second Story – Right Side View

HMMS is a two story building; therefore, the Media Center is also two stories. The second level is separated with a center staircase. This area has yet to be developed due to the secluded nature of the space.


Second Story – Left Side View


Wasted Second Floor Space


Media Center Conference Room

The Media Center holds one conference room that may be utilized for parent/teacher conferences, special education meetings, etc. The conference room also serves as a storage area for teacher resources.


Storage Room One

This room contains DVDs, books on tape, and AV equipment. This room remains unlocked so that teachers may access it without

assistance from the Media Specialist.


Storage Room Two

This room contains student and teacher textbooks and workbooks.


These are “extra” photos from our recent Scholastic Book Fair. Our parent volunteers went above and

beyond with the jungle theme. This area of the library usually holds 4 rectangular tables and 6

chairs per table.

Current Facility LayoutFirst Floor

Current Facility LayoutSecond Floor

Positive Teacher Impressions

• Excellent fiction section• Excellent professional section• Knowledgeable, well-prepared, and

caring staff• Circulation is comparable to other

middle school Media Centers• Clean and tidy space

Negative Teacher Impressions

• More Books, More Books, More Books!

• Utilize Both Balconies

Positive Student Impressions

• Enjoy “Book Talks” – The Media Specialist introduces a new book each time a class visits the library

• Cozy environment• Nice Media Specialist• Good variety of books• Easy to navigate book catalog

search/database• No “baby” books (I teach 6th grade, so they

are thankful for a more grownup selection)

Positive Student Impressions

• Easy to use book-hold system (students have 5 days to claim their reserved book)

Negative Student Impressions

• More copies of popular books• Comfortable seating• More time to browse in the Media Center• The ability to check-out reference books

(especially Guinness World Record books)

• They would like permission to use the second floor as a quiet area for reading

New Facility LayoutFirst Floor

New Facility Layout ExplanationFirst Floor

With no comments from teachers or students in regards to the first floor design, I decided to insert my own preferences. As I discussed earlier in the presentation, the fiction section is divided, leaving approximately one-fourth of the fiction books to stand alone. This often leads students to browse the heavily populated fiction area and neglect the sparsely stocked one-fourth circulation. With this in mind, I divided the fiction section in half; now equal parts occupy two sides of the Media Center. In order to make this layout functional, I moved the class novels into storage room one and the reference materials to the opposite side of the Media Center. I also decided to move all of the student computers to one side, thereby housing all reference materials and internet access in the same location.

I then decided to move the magazines and four chairs to the second floor as they seemed awkwardly placed among the computers.

In order to make this design work, I chose to exchange the long rectangular biography bookshelf for two small square bookshelves. By placing the biography bookshelves as a divider in the library, this established a “research” side (research materials, non-fiction, and biographies) and a pleasure reading side (fiction).

New Facility Layout ExplanationFirst Floor

The final touch was to remove the large rectangular tables in favor of small round tables. The rectangular tables are too small for six chairs, and they do not allow students to adequately push their chairs under. This crowdedness leads to chairs being left pulled out and an overall disheveled appearance. The addition of round tables would also promote sharing among students and the overall look is much softer.

New Facility LayoutSecond Floor

New Facility Layout ExplanationSecond Floor

Both teachers and students stated that the second floor balconies are drastically underused. The main problem with utilizing this space is the need for adult supervision – students are not allowed in these areas without an adult. In order to meet the needs of supervision and incorporate a “lounging” area where students are able to read, I have placed a mini-circulation desk on the left side balcony. Rather than having two Media Center staff members (Media Specialist and assistant) man the large first floor circulation desk, I suggest that the assistant move to the mini-circulation desk while classes are visiting the library. By having two desks, students will not crowd the middle section of the first floor and they will also be able to enjoy a relaxed, comfortable area.

I have also placed a small computer lab on the right side balcony. HMMS currently has one large computer lab that holds more computers than necessary for a 28-student class. I propose that at least 16 computers move to the balcony and offer more opportunities for student research. It is important to note that it would not be possible to move the library computers to the second floor as those are needed for individual student research and book database searches.

New Facility Layout ExplanationSecond Floor

This mini computer lab could be used for collaboration classes in which one teacher brings half of the class, or it can be used when students are researching in pairs or groups. This lab could not be used for individual student research needs as an adult must be present when it is in use.

Documents

Haymon-Morris Middle School Winder, Georgia Media Center Facilities Plan Amy Yarbrough FRIT 7132 October 20, 2008 … where caring, patience, and consistency