PLACE

 A Sense of Place: 


School Libraries at the Heart of Learning, Connection, and Belonging
from Bloomsbury
Coming February 2026




Table of Contents:

Why your school needs an amazing school library!
A Place for the Librarian – It is Not a Library without a Librarian 
A Place to Enter: The Value of an Unforgettable Library Entrance 
A Place of Comfort: Nurturing Comfort and Accessibility in the School Library 
A Place to Collaborate: Crafting Collaborative Spaces for the Modern School Library
A Place to Learn: Transforming the School Library into a Dynamic Learning Hub
A Place to Create: Fostering Creativity and Innovation in the School Library 
A Quiet Place: Cultivating Tranquility for Reading, Studying, and Homework in the Library 
A Place for Expression: Harnessing the Library's Potential for Presentations and Performances 
A Place to Meet: Fostering Connections in the Library 
A Place for Community: Uniting Stakeholders to Build a Thriving School Community 
A Place of Inspiration: Crafting a Space that Sparks Curiosity and Cultivates a Reading Culture 
Essential Resources for Creating Inspiring School Libraries 

 

Reviews





Fieldwork

Tour of more than 20 schools and their libraries
Independent Schools in DC 2010 

  • Edmund Burke School [Progressive and less formal atmosphere]
  • Washington Episcopal School [Clean lines, an entrance that creates intrigue and identity]
  • Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School [Concept of a Community library]





Independent Schools in New Orleans  2011 [Still in recovery from Hurricane Katrina]

  • Academy of the Sacred Heart, Rosary Campus [Description of the flooding and many steps to recovery]
  • Metairie Park Country Day School [Thinking about flooding in design]
  • Isidore Newman School [Traditional space and culture]





Independent Schools near Los Angeles, California 2012

  • Flintridge Prep Chandramohan Library [red comfy chairs]
  • Polytechnic School - Lower and Middle School Library and the Upper School Library [outdoor spaces, upper school brand new construction]




Independent Schools in Orlando 2016


School Libraries in the Phoenix Area 2017

  • Betty H. Fairfax is a high school in the Phoenix Union High School District, Laveen, Arizona, United States. [modern furnishings, charging for devices, graphic novels]
  • Hamilton High School through a partnership with the Chandler Unified School District. [combo/shared public library and high school library]


Independent Schools Tour DC 2019

  • Sidwell Friends [small but intentional]
  • National Cathedral School [multi-level space with large collection]
  • The Madeira School [traditional boarding school library with archives]


Independent Schools Tour DC 2022



  • Georgetown Day School [Modern, joyful space]
  • Maret School [creative and artistic space working with the challenges of a historic property] 
  • National Cathedral







Independent Schools Chicago 2023




  • Francis Parker School [Flexible space with collapsible glass walls]
  • Catherine Cooke School [Amazing space led by amazing librarians]
  • University of Chicago Lab Schools [three of the four libraries: Knes Family Library, Rowley Family Library, and Pritzker Traubert Family Library.]



Independent Schools San Diego 2024

  • La Jolla Country Day [Fayman Lower School Library on the first floor and the Middle and Upper School Library on the second floor]
  • Bishop School [Manchester Library & Learning Center]  -- [with Alisa Brandt]




Schools in my area

Kentucky HS library 2015

Blackman HS library 2023





Wishlist

https://www.21clconf.org/item/libraries-tour/




Taking the Library [Houston Independent School District. In June of 2023, Mike Miles]

Designing schools without the school library [Architecture and Education]

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