BARBARA EAGLES | Coordinator , Interactive Media Commons , Foothills School Division

Division ( FSD ) look very different from school libraries of the past . Yes , there are still books on the shelves but perhaps far fewer , and they are more selective and more purposeful than before . Our Learning Commons are no longer merely repositories of resources . There is a hum of students discovering , creating , engaging , ideating , communicating , collaborating and iterating in these redesigned , renamed libraries , the heart of our schools , and the most valuable real estate within those walls .

During the last four years , FSD has been transitioning its libraries into Learning Commons preceding Alberta Education ’ s Learning Commons mandate of 2014 . Physical spaces have been recreated with flexible furniture to encompass the needs of all students by providing multipurpose spaces for individual , small or large group activities all within its confines . Digital resources are available 24 / 7 , with numerous online resources through Alberta Education , Discovery Education , Follett eBooks and many more . School communities are utilizing their space for so much more these days , from performance space to cultural presentations , coffee houses , book fairs , guest speakers , human libraries , literacy day celebrations , staff meetings and makerspaces . This dynamic process has resulted in spectacular shifts in awareness for all stakeholders of the importance of Learning Commons as the heart of learning and innovation in schools .

Foothills School Division Trustee Jeannine Tucker and C . Ian McLaren School Principal Sherry Agasoster- Jones accepting a donation of $ 500 from Foothills Retired Teachers ' Association President Gary Sawatzky to be used for new shelving in school Learning Commons .

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