I'm going to introduce my colleagues Betha Gutsche, who is here, she is the WebJunction's program manager who has been working on this project, and I'm going to let her introduce the rest of our presenters for today.
Welcome, Bethea.
>> Thank you, Jennifer.
We will be introducing our guest presenters in a little more detail in a bit, but really thrilled to have Melanie and Jennifer in the room, and Brianna, who has been working with me very closely on this project all the way since its inception.
So let's get started talking about how to activate the library with learning.
You may be thinking, but we've always been about lifelong learning.
Well, this is a little bit of a different spin on lifelong learning at the library.
I think we're probably all aware of a shift that's been going on in libraries in their role in the community, moving from passive to more active engagement with community members.
It's this shift igniting the lie primarily heart of the community and active learning is at the core of that.
So we've had a little bit of a living laboratory going on for the last 18 months to really evolve our own ideas about how we can activate learning in public libraries.
With funding from IMLS and OCLC, we launched the small libraries create smart spaces project, or program, selecting 15 small or rural libraries from across the country, and working with them to achieve this goal around cocreating space and learning with their communities, and I think nearing the end of this project what we learned is that if these small libraries can create smart spaces and active learning, any library can.
So we first had to step back and define, what do we mean by active learning?
This is a term that's used quite widely in schools, especially K-12.
But libraries are different.
Libraries offer an informal setting, outside of formal education environments, and this is where all members of the community can participate together in hands-on learning that is driven by their interests and is meaningful to their lives.
And I think the best way to illustrate these concepts is to show you some actual examples.
So learning happens by doing.
This is really at the essence of what we mean by active learning.
So learners literally get their hands dirty for learning as they are designing and building and growing things.
And this engages that power of the hand-brain connection, which is really has been shown to spur really greater learning when you're moving objects and interacting with tangible, real things.
Active learning is social.
This is a really crucial aspect.
Everyone can participate.
So where active learning spaces create social connection, people are learning together and learning from each other, and when they are learning -- feel like they're participating in a community, this actually increases motivation to learn.
So it moves that DIY, do it yourself to DIT, doing it together.
Active learning is also for all ages.
It can start very early, for example, a play space in the library that's embedded with early literacy tools, so very young children are acquiring these skills by play.
It's all about play, active learning really is.
So for teens, it might be a digital media lab where they can just mess around with the equipment that's there, and they find their own learning paths.
And for adults, it can be an entrepreneurial maker space playground, maker spaces are not just for kids.
So across all these ages and types of spaces, the learning challenge is constant.
So learners explore together, they find new challenges, and they cocreate solutions in an ongoing cycle.
How are we, or how did we guide the transformation into active learning spaces with our 15 participating libraries, especially when every one of their communities is unique?
And just to give you a little visual, these are the 15 library facades and the populations.
So even though they all fit the definition of small or rural, every community is unique.
Because of that, we really are challenged to -- our challenge was to define a process that leads to the active learning transformation, but to do that without trying to shoe horn our libraries into any sort of preconceived notion of what that would look like.
And so we intentionally kept the process very open-ended.
It's really all about this -- I call this a mantra -- the community is the expert.
It starts with discovering and understanding the community's needs and interests, the community expert is the key principle of place making from the project for public spaces.
So working with the project for public spaces, we embarked on a process to engage community members in visioning and planning with the library.
So we were able to offer a range of tools and strategies for this kind of genuine community discovery, and we learned as we worked with them that in some small communities, it's really a matter of just talking to your neighbors and listening to the chat down at the local coffee shop.
I think what's important is whatever tool you use, it's about listening to your community.
We found that traditional surveys tend to be the least likely to yield meaningful results, and I think that could be because surveys tend to start from an assumption that the library knows what choices to offer the community.
Surveys also tend to elicit what I call smile responses.
So the people just say oh, we love the library!
You should just keep doing what you're doing!
So I want to show you just a couple of the various tools that -- this is actually examples from one of our participants, the Madison Public Library in South Dakota.
They chose to do what's called a wish tree, and I think one of the tricks to real liaisonsenning to the community is to help your community audience think beyond their own assumptions.
So by asking these very nonlibrary specific questions on these wish trees, which they placed in nine locations outside of the library around the community, they really helped the people responding to think more as inspirationally and more broadly in their responses.
We also encouraged our libraries to use more than one tool, probably at least two if not more tools, so this is again Madison Public Library, they took the input they gathered from the wish trees and they came up with four ideas to offer to the community in these dot boards.
So they asked the community to vote with their dots on a gaining space, a teen space, a maker space, or a business incubator, and they put this dot board up for about two weeks in the library, then took it to something called Madison discovery days, where over a hundred people voted, and the teen space won.
But I want to really emphasize that all of these tools aren't meant to be some sort of a scientific survey that arrive at a statistically call Kabul result, it's all about listening and keeping in mind if the runner-up was maker space, well, that may be something in the future to explore moamplet so keeping that open-ended ongoing process of listening.
And we heard testimonial after testimonial from our participants of how valuable this community discovery process was for them in really shifting their thinking and reminding them about the critical nature of listening to the community.
So you might be wondering, what do you do to prepare for change?
And there are some very specific things you can do to prepare your physical space to be ready for active learning.
So one key quality is that the space needs to be open and inviting.
You want this to be welcoming, to encourage people to come in and start playing and exploring.
So this might mean showing all the tools that are available for people to use, even having some projects lying around so they can get idea of what's possible and getting used to the fact that it might be a little messy.
A little bit hard for some people in libraries.
Another key quality is the space is flexible.
This means really you can put everything on wheels, including heavy furnishings.
It also is a matter of thinking modularly, and thinking of, for example, with these modular tables, how much easier it is to put smaller tables together when you need a large space, rather than having one large immovable object that is always something you work around, even though you don't need it 90% of the time.
And this making room for these open, flexible spaces runs right into the choice overload problem and the weeding challenge, our participating libraries all stepped up very valiantly to this challenge, but it is really important to think about getting an ongoing weeding policy that reduces the amount of clutter.
And studies have shown that reducing the collection size and emphasizing face-out displays increase circulation.
And we will have more resources on this, because this was a big, deep topic for our participants.
I'd like to do a little activity now with you all to help you think about reframing physical space for active learning.
So if you would look for that marker pen, it will look gray in the upper left-hand corner.
Once you click on it, it turns blue and it opens up a column of options.
And I see some of you are finding your check marks.
Look for that open white square, and click the tiniest arrow on any interface in the universe to open the drop-down dialogue box and check the check mark tool.
And it looks like -- please practice on the slide.
It looks like you're getting there and finding this.
I love the hearts and the extra expressions and the big check marks.
Now I'm going to ask you to please refrain for just a few seconds while I switch to the next slide, because I'm going to give you some choices and instruction.
On this slide, if you would imagine this was your library, and these are photographs from three of our participating libraries, so they're actual scenarios before the transformation, just put a check mark on anything that you see that you would want to change to allow space and conditions for active learning.
And once you've put your check marks, please enter in chat and make some comments about what you might want to change or why you placed your check marks where you did.
We're getting check marks all over the place.
A whole herd of them on the circulation desk.
And I think as you keep sharing, we're going to cut off the check marks and move to the next slide.
Somebody is suggesting digital signage at the Circ desk.
What we call Fort circulation, it's any large immovable barrier, especially a barrier between staff and patrons.
And you're right, it closes things off.
I love the idea of lower shelves, but in this layout, it's very awkward, it looks like you can't move things around, and the furniture doesn't really fit the flexibility that's needed for space.
And yes, definitely the single seats, where the social connection or the invitation?
To me that's a large unused space that invites one person to go in and sit down.
So in the interest of time let's move us forward, but I love all the comments you're coming up.
Carts of books, yes, that looks messy.
But I think the best way to convey the transformation that happened in the participating libraries is for you to hear from the source.
And I'm so thrilled that we have two of our library participants here today to talk to you, and we're going to start with Jennifer Trail, who is director of the Glenns Ferry library, a population of just over 1200, and she's very humble, but -- so I will tell you up front she's done an incredible, remarkable things to transform her library.
So Jen, please tell us.
>> It looks like you just muted yourself, so I'll let you unmute yourself.
>> Are we there?
>> Yep.
>> Okay.
Thank you, Betha.
My name is Jennifer Trail, and I am the library director in southern Idaho.
And we are a small a g tourney, and there are lots of jobs, employment, everything is Ag-based, if that's trucking, or being farmers themselves.
So we are right along the Oregon trail, so we have a lot of historical value also, and along the Snake River, so we do have some covered wagons, and interest in our town, and that's our little library there and one of our main streets in town that runs next to the railroad.
So we are a railroad town, we are a pioneer town, and largely agricultural these days.
So I like to say we have a lot of home-grown goodness in our town.
Some residents would argue that the only culture in our town is found in yogurt.
But I would like to change that at the library, which did lead me to applying for this opportunity.
Our school, from Pk-12 has about 400 kids, all in one building with each hallway being a different school.
So we rely a lot on each other and working together to support each other.
But being an old library that has been here in a small town for many years, it's also difficult to change the perception of what the library does, and as Betha said, many times people just view the library as a quiet little place with not much going on.
So our little building was originally a medical clinic that was transformed into the library in the late '90s.
Like I said, it's been viewed as just a quiet little place that has books and people will quietly come check out their books, and very little programming if any was offered in the past.
More than once in the past couple years city council and the community has considered closing it all together because there wasn't a lot of activity going on.
So there's been an uphill battle on trying to change what the library is offering.
I've been here for almost three years now, and have tried very actively to change that around, because as Betha said, there's a definite shift in what libraries are offering.
So I hit the pavement in gathering what the community input was, and what we wanted to try to create our space to be.
So I met with the senior center, I went and met with the school, I met with city council, I met with library patrons, I met with the girl scouts, I met with the Boy Scouts, board members.
So -- and gathering input on what we would like to see from all these people, and I think one of the key things that worked for me in doing this is that I had to go to them.
I had a lot more success by stepping out of the library and going down and having lunch with the seniors at the senior center, and finding out what they want.
So -- and often times even though I've lived in the community for many years, and felt like I knew what the community wanted, I was really surprised on what some of their responses were in terms of programming options.
So it was good to listen, and I think the key not only is to listen to what they want, but then you have to take that and actively put that into practice.
If somebody requests a certain type of program, you can't say oh, yeah that's good, and forget it.
You've got to write that down and figure out a way to incorporate that, because the community won't buy in unless they feel like they have been listened to.
So some of the things that my community wanted from all of these different groups was, we needed a space that we could adapt and change, being an old medical clinic, our building is very choppy with a lot of small rooms.
So it's hard to have a room big enough to offer programming that will accommodate a group.
We needed a space that felt inviting, a lot of our decorations and decor and our shelves were full, everything was just very outdated.
And didn't feel inviting, welcoming to sit and study, or to hold a meeting.
So we needed spaces that invited people in and wanted them to stay.
So -- and like I said at the beginning, the perception in the community of the role of the library after being kind of on the chopping block so to speak, budgetwise I had a lot of work ahead of me on reestablishing the library as an active, relevant place in the community, and that it needed -- our community needed a library, and these are the different things it could offer.
And I also -- I didn't want to reinvent the wheel.
I think as a small town, we all work together, and if the school is offering a great program, I don't want to offer what the school is offering.
If the seniors are offering a great program, I don't need to do that.
So part of offering creating a space in the library, it was creating something that was unique to the library, and something that we could offer that was different than what the other groups are doing.
Because it wasn't coming off as competition of the other groups, it was more about bringing the community together and working and supporting each other in our programming.
So those were the things that the community asked of me as I went out to their groups and found  them.
And so this is a picture of the room before hand, and it is the back of our library is a trailer house that's up against our main building.
So the room is very skinny and narrow, and, yes, those are VHS tapes, and yes, it's a pretty big room dedicated all to VHS tapes, which surprisingly circulate quite a bit.
So I did not want to get rid of them all together, because they are an asset to our library.
We're still pretty old-fashioned here.
But the library -- the space create -- it was not welcoming, the shelving was mismatchy, and the bottom picture you can see is one big wall of videos, and on the other side of that wall is the opening to the rest of the library.
It had the two doors on the sides, but that main space was just the wall of videos.
So people would come in and use this space, but it was not used every day, it wasn't used regularly, and it was by far the biggest room we have in the library that was dedicated to something that couldn't serve groups or education.
So that is the room that I chose.
And here we go with our demo.
So my first project was to take that wall that had the solid wall of movies and close off the two doors on the outside and create one bigger door in the center, which then is open to the rest of the library.
So when you enter the room, when you look out of the room, you're seeing in the room, not just that wall.
So I did my board members were amazing, and they got together and they helped us move all of the videos out of there, and we cleaned up another space and so we still have those four for use, and we had community members build that door opening for us.
So we brought together a lot of different volunteers and people, and it's definitely not a  one-person project.
I think it's important to rely on your community and work together, and my library board president ripped up the carpet and laid a new floor.
A community member had donated new flooring for us, so this in these pictures is the old carpet.
But part of our success was because we weren't afraid to ask for help, and we accepted it when they were there.
So by moving the doors, it created a much more inviting space to come into, and then in the next picture, there we are, there is our after with our new floor.
It's much brighter, it's still that same room, but without just wall-to-wall videos.
We have the movable tables and furniture, we have supply tubs that are all labeled right there and ready to use.
We added a T.V. on the wall for presentations and also for videos to use.
In the left picture you can see I got little portable trick burners in my community gathering request, we had a lot of input for cooking classes.
So I couldn't -- I was trying to figure out a way of how we can incorporate cooking classes into programs at the library without having a full kitchen.
So I was able to purchase some burners, which have used perfectly, they have little pots on them there.
We had made rock candy during that program.
So we did go with brighter colors, movable items, the tables are on wheels, it just turned out -- it's ready to use, it's there, the change in flooring going to the hard wood floor makes it much easier to clean up, so we can sweep up or dribble or wipe or whatever we need to do.
So it has just been a great room.
We have our 3d printer in the corner, and we also have a locked cabinet there with some tablets in it that are available during the day.
We have Legos that are there for anybody to come and use.
So these are some of the other things on the wall.
This make it mural is what you walk into the door and see, and I thought that this summed up what I wanted the space to be and what the community had asked for.
So that's one big mural that we have on the wall.
And then our Taylor room, we did have a community member facilitate a large donation, and he -- one of his requests was that we name the room after him.
So we also have our recognition sign for the grant opportunity and OCLC and WebJunction, but we also named this room after a community member who wanted to donate and create a space.
So we had to combine a couple different efforts to make this room happen.
But we also have in the bottom left corner a cardboard guitar that we made with makey makeys at one of our events.
So that's fun for kids to use, it's just out any time.
And under the T.V. there are some kind of how-to books on crafting and supplies, and there's drawing books, and a little animation studio, and a Lego book idea, and a knot-tying book.
Just different things kids can -- patrons can peruse at their own time.
So the room has things that they can use at their own time, or it is also we can use it for scheduled programming.
So these are some pictures from our spring break program of using the burners and the pots.
We did a fun project that took milk and -- used milk to make plastic, which was a lot of fun, and the burners were really helpful.
And we've used them to make rock candy also.
But the kiddos, it's just a perfect space to use for that.
The occupancy, it's comfortably, it's probably 10 to 15.
It gets -- it is a small space, but we're able to post programs in there now.
Now that we have a space that can accommodate a group like this, we have started -- we are on a  four-day school week, so we have started a tween steam program, every Friday from 1:00 to 2:00, so we have a program that was an opportunity that was available for our kids during out of school times on Fridays, where they're usually not doing anything, but we offer different kind of steam program every Friday, which we have kids attending regularly.
So it keeps their minds busy over those long weekends.
We also have an adult in formal STEM discussion group that meets once a month that is with books, and then it touches on an informal science topic.
So we have gone from not offering any program, to having a space that has invited the community in to offer programs for kids during out of school time.
And offer an opportunity for adults to come discuss STEM issues that STEM learning can be for any age, it's not just for the kiddos.
So we have several organized programs, and then in the off time, people use the room for meeting and just using the space and the study tables.
So was it worth it?
Yes, it was.
But there's just so many opportunities that we can use the space for.
We did not have any room like this before, it was just row and rows of books, rows and rows of movies, it's so much brighter and welcoming, and it looks updated and modern.
So it has really played a big role in redefining where the library is.
And not only do we have the resources to host programs here at the library, we also have them to take out into the community and expand our programs there.
And we have really tried to make an effort to appeal to all ages and work with the seniors and we work with the state park, and work with everybody that wants to learn and not just school-age kids.
So it is not all roses.
There were definitely some challenges.
The biggest I think that everybody faces are dispiem money, don't know what to do.
So the answer, my advice for time would be, you don't do it all on your own.
Which is very hard to admit that you can't do it all on your own, especially for me, but lean on your board, lean on your community, everybody is an expert in something, and somebody could be good at woodworking and can open up that wall for you, or somebody like your president of your board could lay the new floor for you.
So make sure that you have a team of support.
I am the only worker here at our little library, so it is hard to do it all on my own, but you need to ask for help and accept that help when they come in.
And money.
This project was a good start, but it also took other grant opportunities to continue the program and to purchase other items that went along with it.
So to continue the program, I am always looking for other supplemental opportunities to be able to keep this program going, because it does cost money to put programs on.
So if you don't know where to start, just ask questions, don't be afraid to ask questions.
Get to know your community, even if you think you already do, you will learn.
There's always something to learn about them.
And as I learned in talking especially to the seniors, there's a lot, your community is a huge resource and great expert on what they have to offer.
I had several community members offer to lead classes, so you don't have to be the expert on whatever you're teaching.
I had a lot of requests for drones from my community, so I jumped in to offering a drone program based out of this project, which is -- I'm not familiar with drones, I don't know anything about them, but I do now, and so I had -- I leaned on people and asked them for help.
So -- and I'm not a designer.
I didn't know where to start, what to do, but it all came together and so I did -- I saw that storage table with the different colored drawers, and I kind of based my room off that.
I saw it, and I thought, oh, my gosh, that will do it.
So I found that and just picked one piece and then started designing from there, and looking at what kind of projects would be going on in that room, and how -- what kind of tables and things we would need to do that.
So you can do it, I can do it.
So thank you, I appreciate it, and I thought I would end with don't worry about your failures, worry about the chances you'd miss if you didn't even try.
So I applied for this and got into this program thinking I had no chance, we're just a little 'dunk town in the middle of Idaho, but I'm not afraid to take a chance, and it's worked out really well, and I can't imagine where our community would be without it.
So it has turned into something really well, and just there is nothing wrong with taking it day by day and doing the best you can.
And our space has really transformed what we're doing here in our small town.
So it has been a great opportunity, and it just fills my heart every day to see all of the different activities that are happening in this space that once just had movies on the shelf.
If you need any help or questions, I've got my email at the bottom.
Thank you.
>> Wow.
Thank you, Jennifer.
I know a lot of people are inspired by this transformation, including me.
I wonder, because I want to move forward and I want to make sure we have time to hear about hot springs, so Jen, if you could answer the technical questions in the chat, somebody wanted to know where you got your tables, what was in the colorful boxes, so if you could take care of those questions in chat, we can hopefully have time for questions at the end.
And have Melanie Morgan step up and give us our next transformation story.
She is the library director at actually the hot springs library branch of the larger Madison county library system.
But her library represents the smallest population served in any of our participating libraries and communities, only 560 people located right on the Appalachian trail, and Melanie, tell us all about your transformation.
>> All right.
Thank you for the warm introduction.
I'm excited to be here today to share St. hot springs library experience with the small library create smart spaces project.
Hot springs as you can see in the photos, is a rustic town, well known for playing host to the Appalachian trail hikers, hot natural mineral springs, and stunning views as far as the eye can see.
In addition to the abundance of hikers, the town of hot springs is a cool little town, it's made up of all walks of life, from outdoor enthusiasts, artists, small business owners, farmers, retirees, and young families.
It truly has a quirky small town feel, and just love, it's a great place to visit, so we welcome you to come and visit hot springs.
In addition to the hot springs library is one of the two libraries in the United States that is directly located on the Appalachian trail.
Which provides us a unique opportunity to serve a diverse population.
You can see some of our hikers, and the cool stories we get to hear every day just from all the different people coming and visiting our library throughout the year.
We have however not always had a permanent location for the hot springs.
Until two years ago, the hot springs library did not have a permanent location to call home.
Over the course of 20 years, it has been located several places, including in the back room of an old jail, a former day care facility, a decrepid building that was slowly falling apart, no one including myself wanted to spend much time at that library.
However, with the help of the friends of the hot springs library, the Madison County Public Library were able to purchase a building in downtown hot springs and begin to reenvision the future of the hot springs library with the values and needs of the community at the forefront.
 during our community discover process, the Madison County Public Libraries engaged our community members and partners to create strong community dialogue with our stakeholders.
The library gathered community input through various methods that included a survey, informal conversations with library users, and nonlibrary users, which is a little harder to obtain.
As well as facilitation work sessions with our key community members and stakeholders.
And meetings with our community partner O.s.
So we really tried to really branch out and get the input from the entire community of what they wanted for the new space.
And it was during this time the library was able to have the need for a multiuse space that was flexible for active learning, as well as a place for our tweens to connect with one another in a fun, safe environment.
In addition, during this discovery process, the library was able toll leverage the OCLC small libraries creates more spaces grant to acquire a steam across the ages grant through the duke energy foundation.
So both grants allowed the Madison County public libraries to truly reenvision the Hot Springs library and create a user center space.
So we were very lucky to be able to obtain those two grants in order to transform our space.
What we chose was a bare-bones storage room which was selected to create a more usable space that could be transitioned throughout the day to meet our various patron needs.
As you can see, the space was dark and in desperate need of a makeover.
The children's area was really darker, there was no natural lighting and the ceiling was really low.
So it felt like a really closed-in space.
And floor tiles were broken, and unsafe, and throughout the years previous owners of the building had added random walls and even bars in the windows.
So it was not welcoming.
We really wanted to transform that and make it a space that people wanted to be in.
So on demo day I was on site to watch the transformation unfold and keep my fingers crossed that there were no major issues laying before us.
So to provide a little background, a new home of the Hot Springs library was originally a storefront built in 1960.
We knew going into the project there were possibly issues might arise, and created a contingency fund to ensure coverage of any possible surprises.
In addition, in order to reduce costs the Madison County maintenance department was able to utilize inmates from the state prison to help them with demo day and the renovation.
So this was a project that the maintenance department and the library did completely on our own.
So we didn't have any outside help other than our inmates from the state prison.
On the first day of demo, one of the inmaintenance pointed out though he felt at home, bars on the window were probably not very welcoming for library patrons.
We of course agreed and removed the bars as soon as possible and let in the natural light, which really began to transform that space.
So you'll see from the next pictures, we were not afraid to take down walling.
So as you can see, we spared no wall or ceiling during this process.
As demo day progressed, a huge red flag was waved when a ceiling came crashing down with one swing of a crowbar.
I have no construction experience, but when the ceiling finally came to rest, I looked at my coworker and stated, I don't know how much about construction, but that didn't seem right.
And so both my coworker and the maintenance department echoed the same thoughts, so leaving that  day, the maintenance director let me know that he was going to investigate a little further on Friday.
Well, Friday came and I did not hear a thing, and so I thought all was well, as anyone would.
Well, surprise, everything was not okay.
So I apparently I was wrong, on Saturday I took my daughters down to see the project.
I was super excited to share the space.
And thought everything was okay.
But as my youngest daughter rounded the corner she shouted "is it supposed to look like this?"
And of course it isn't, because most libraries have floors.
So we had some major issues.
So besides the floor being gone, there was a huge structural beam that was not attached to the  building any longer.
And all I saw was dollar signs and my contingency fund going down the drain.
So we had major setbacks.
But early on on Monday, I -- my counter manager and I were on site and I really thought in my head, at least nothing else can go wrong.
And within seconds all of the pipes burst and water was flowing everywhere.
I think it took us at least 30 minutes to find the water main valve and shut it off.
So looking back, it was funny, but at the time it was not.
But we made it through.
So to make a long story short, we regrouped and created an amazing multiuse space that is bright and engaging.
So I'm looking forward to sharing with you these stories.
This is the after.
And as you can see, the transformation is remarkable.
We created an open, bright space that is inviting for all ages, but especially for children and teens in our small town.
So during the process, I'll show you another one here, during the process we also updated the computer lab, and we really tried to incorporate elements  that represented the room and community, even down to the quotes.
So I love this quote -- we are adventurers and explorers, inventors and discoverers, finders and doers of great things, which truly brings in our Appalachian trail hikers who really make a huge impact in our community.
So we love that quote.
In the children's area, our goal was to create interactive centers that engage children and incorporated a nature theme, since we are surrounded by the forest.
With lots of sensory items.
So on the first day of opening, the space to the public, there were probably 10 children working together to build a floor out of the Legos and the rest were running around like wild people.
It was a really cool grand opening, and we probably had all together like 35 children in the room.
So it was really cool to see the space being used the way that we had hoped it would be.
Finally, we created a cool teen/tween area with laptops, stools, and everything on wheels for easy mobility.
It is really fun to walk into the library and see the teens enjoying the space.
And they truly have taken over the space every afternoon.
And as you can see, everything is on wheels, so we can move everything out of the space and have a wonderful open space for large programs that we might have in the future, whether it be adult, children, or teens.
So it's really a great multiuse room.
So let's see.
Since the completion of the project, a new space has created a bug in our community.
We have people coming in to see the space.
Patrons of all ages love the new space, and often exclaim they never dreamed they would have such a beautiful library.
As you can see, the Hot Springs library has the ability to utilize the new space from day one, with steam, ecoexplorer, Lego, and school programs for all ages.
So here's also a lot of our active learning and free play.
And again, it's just really cool to see the space being used the way that we envisioned it.
However, the program that we're -- that I look forward to starting in collaboration with a the Madison County school system is implementing literacy leaps.
Which is an after-school program that helps struggling students achieve higher educational  attainment through 101 and small group tutoring.
Which includes steam enrichment activities.
Program will target students who are identified for being the low-grade level or at risk of falling below grade level.
So we'll be starting that program in the fall.
We really look forward to connecting more with the schools and our students and really trying to make a difference in our community.
So they're there in a nutshell is our experience with the small libraries create smart spaces project.
It was a tremendous learning experience.
And I encourage all to try, whether refreshing a space or undertaking a huge renovation, the end result will create a space that is welcoming for all.
It was a really wonderful experience that we enjoyed, and again, we're so excited about the end result.
So if you have any questions I'll be happy to answer them.
And thank you for your time.
>> Thank you, Melanie, inspiring again.
If you could answer the one question about QR codes, then we have time hopefully to get Brianna's presentation of the dramatic before and after, but I briefly want to give kudos, I know I'm celebrating the process that we let everybody through, but kudos to Melanie and Jennifer and all of the other leaders in this project, because it's your energy -- it took your energy to make that happen and make those connections.
Okay, Brianna, go for it.
>> Okay.
Thank you, Betha.
As Betha said, my name is Brianna Hoffman, and I am the project coordinator for the small libraries create smart spaces project.
And now that we've seen the detailed transformations of two of our participants, I'm going to share a quick overview of some of the other participants have undertaken, including some of the programming that they plan to do or have done in the space.
First up is the Caledonia Public Library in Caledonia, Minnesota.
Caledonia is home to just under 3,000 residents, and is about a half hour from the Wisconsin border.
And a little fun fact, Caledonia is also the wild turkey capital of Minnesota.
So before the changes, large bulky furniture dominated the space.
It was difficult to have larger programs because of the computer stations being right in the middle of the floor.
It's hard to tell from these pictures, but those computers were right as you walked in the door.
It's a small space to begin with, so it wasn't very inviting.
Library director Ashley dress chose these tables because of their flexibility.
They're easily stacked and stored, and can be arranged in a variety of configurations.
A new smart T.V. on a rolling stand can be moved around the room and used for a variety of presentations and programs.
The magazine collection that was on the wall is now housed in a former unused office and storage room for patrons that still desire that quiet space.
The bunch of computers have been moved to the opposite wall of the library, spreading them out, and giving -- getting them out of the library entrance.
And as you, see by the comments, the community is pretty happy with their new arrangement.
Situated right on the Hudson river, corn wall Public Library serves a population of just over  12,000.
And they're also seven short miles from the west point military academy.
Corn wall was really just a blank slate before their changes.
Their space was full of potential, and just crying out for color.
And boy, did they get the color.
They enlisted lots of help from the community, including a designer, carpet installer, and a  muralist to help with their transformation.
They also got a lot of input from the teens in the community about what they wanted to see in the space.
They've added elements like the flexible rolling tables, and device charging chairs.
The need was for space for teens and young adults and this space will be one where they can grow.
Madison Public Library is in the heart of Madison, South Dakota.
It serves a population of just under 7500 residents.
Madison's also home to Dakota state University, and a lot of talented teens.
Betha mentioned about their community discovery process in the beginning of the webinar.
And how children's lie -- was sure they would be doing an all-ages maker space.
Instead, what they found was the desire was for a place for teens.
They wanted a space that they could call their own, but they also wanted to be surrounded by books.
Before the project started, Lisa began the teen advisory board, and she now has about 12 teens and tweens that participate and help plan.
The teen advisory board was a huge asset in planning their new space.
Lisa enlisted a local craftsman to design and build their tables.
The tables can be put together for larger groups, or easily moved out of the way entirely.
The teens chose the sleek red spinning stools.
Lisa also enlisted a local life scout working on his eagle scout project to come up with a  reconfigured floor plan as well as a plan for moving the existing shelving to achieve the vision.
After a huge weeding project, book shelves were either relocated, reconfigured, and in some cases, removed all together to create the feel of a room while allowing library staff a better line of sight.
Incorporated as the town of will ton in 1762, will ton, New Hampshire, is home to just under 4,000 residents.
This is quite a jump from the 623 residents that called Wilson home during the American revolution.
Will ton is unique in the project, because willton opted for an outdoor experience.
It was important they meet the needs and wants of their communities, which was a library experience that was available even when the library was closed.
Wilton created a new walkway, installation a of new lighting, a story walk and a performance corner.
All of which can be accessed during library hours for programming, or outside of library hours for residents.
The project participants have been busy doing pretty awesome programming in their new spaces.
And I'm just going to share a little bit of what they've been up to with you.
As I mentioned, Madison, South Dakota, is home to some seriously talented teens.
Many are musicians, even forming their own bands.
As part of their smart space, Madison purchased a microphone for podcasting, a camcorder, an audio recorder, a music board, a music mixing board, I should say, a math book, and a green screen kit.
The teens are having a blast with the new equipment.
Children's librarian Lisa Martin already has plans for the teens to teach the adult patrons who are interested in the new tech equipment how to use it.
And if you look closely at the picture on the right, you can see Lisa getting into the green screen fun.
Here are some of the other programs being done or planned in the new smart spaces.
Expression sessions at Punxsutawney memorial library will be an ongoing art program using different art mediums.
They've also started their makers corner for teens.
Vie yairus visits at Madison and Caledonia will have patrons sharing their vacation experience and giving tips for future vacationers.
Ignacio community library in Colorado has a great upper level balcony in their library, so they'll be taking full advantage of it with air rock expet paper airplane programs.
Teen tech night at corn WALL, and website building for small businesses at green witch free library will help get small businesses onto the web.
Norelius Community Library has a robust after-school program, with the elementary and middle schools less an five minute walk from the library, you can just about set your watch to when the kids will be arriving.
Every day children's specialist has kids coming in to see her.
Norelius was able to touch three different areas in their library, with the small libraries create smart spaces project.
For Kim, having those three spaces means she can do more programming for specific age groups, as well as introducing STEM and steam concepts.
She's especially looking forward to utilizing the new sewing machine programs this summer.
Here are a few of the other programs being planned.
Wilton is doing their snacks in the stacks, helping kids that might not be getting lunch elsewhere.
There are a couple of libraries doing music productions, like Ignacio and Madison.
GreenWich is doing a life hack series A. poetry slammed is planned for Caledonia's new space.
And Wilton is looking forward to utilizing their outdoor library experience for their try it night programs.
The first being a tango try it night.
Here's just a little bit more on Wilton's outdoor library experience.
They're calling it the smart park, where new tables and chairs can be used for gardening programs, and large outdoor musical instruments to engage children and adults.
Just the other day library director pat saw a father and son playing on the drums together.
The story walk is a great addition for families who want to get reading in, and a nice walk in the park at the same time.
>> Thank you, Brianna.
I love before and after pictures.
That's one of my passions, because you really get that visual transformation.
Before we leave, I want to make sure that you know that we are launching a course, or a series of courses based on this project program, the first phase of that course, course one, is available now in the WebJunction catalog.
It's free to anybody to take, and I want to emphasize, this is really a guided learning experience, and as we were chatting that this process for the two libraries here today, really took pretty much a long period of time, 12 months to 15 months, it's not something you're likely to do in a month.
And the community discovery process in particular really takes some attention and time to make a genuine and really make that connection with the community.
So I encourage you as you approach this course to think in the bigger scope and a little bit of the longer term.
We will be -- we will be launching the second and third phases soon in the next month, and we also will be -- we are in the process of writing transformation stories for each participating library, so that you will be able to see the stories.
They're all dynamic and wonderful, each one of them took a separate path.
And before we leave, I just want to emphasize the importance of that community connection.
It's not just in the discovery phase, it's throughout this process, and this evolution.
By starting with listening to the community and making those connection and being visible out in the community, you then invite people to become involved and invested in the process, donate the volunteer energy, determine and come up with ideas for programming and lead programming, so it's really overall one rich community focused active engagement, and I encourage you all to try it for yourselves.
Thank you so much.