Learning Commons: una nuova idea di biblioteca scolastica

Abstract

The “Learning Commons” is an innovative library concept developed and applied in the USA in the 1990’s. The main goal of this new library concept is to stimulate users to learn and experiment on their own, or as a team, with the help of many different tools. The Learning Commons is also a place where users can find information as in a traditional library, using books and online resources for example, but also a space where users can develop different skills, such as problem-solving or critical thinking, catalysed through the use of new technologies and even recycled materials. In some sense, this way of learning resembles the Italian Reggio method and Piaget theories. This way of learning is possible because the Learning Commons can be adapted and changed depending on user needs and interests. Today, it is a library model used by many universities and schools across North America, whereas in Italy we have few cases that are close to the Learning Commons philosophy. Here I analyse this new approach, and describe my personal experience as a Learning Commons librarian in a Canadian school, in terms of environment, users and the librarian’s job, compared with my previous experience in a traditional Public Library.