“HOW LIBRARY AESTHETICS AFFECTS STUDENT BEHAVIOR”

When a new library is being designed, “future proofing” it is an important ingredient in the criteria for success. Strong floors, good lighting and good ventilation will go a long way in promoting the adaptability and flexibility for posterity. Today, aesthetics are always built more around the personality of the people who will use it. In other words, people take priority over structures, unlike the earlier times when the collection of works in the library was considered paramount. A beautiful building housing a library will rekindle the passions of the students, and entice their elements to experience the library in its new glory as a resourceful learning space in place of an outmoded structure that hardly offers them the atmosphere or environment for advancement in their own special disciplines. Though a conclusion is yet to come on the benefits of space well designed and its effects on the student population, indications are very much leaning to the affirmative.

“Library Resources and Their Role in Education.”

Educational efforts over several years have seen the positive involvement of libraries in education by offering their referral services, information and teaching resources. Individual tutoring programs and educational classes, besides their outreach to specific people’s groups with educational handicaps taken up now by libraries, alludes to their active and enhanced involvement in education. Distribution of resource materials to institutions, including hospitals, prisons, homes for the disabled and aged, rehabilitation centers and groups with education related problems and adolescents involved in crime, unemployment and the like, makes a visible impact on their education.

“THE IMPORTANCE OF A POSITIVE CLASSROOM”

Classroom environment is one of the most important factors affecting student learning. Simply put, students learn better when they view the learning environment as positive and supportive (Dorman, Aldridge, & Fraser, 2006). A positive environment is one in which students feel a sense of belonging, trust others, and feel encouraged to tackle challenges, take risks, and ask questions (Bucholz & Sheffler, 2009). Such an environment provides relevant content, clear learning goals and feedback, opportunities to build social skills, and strategies to help students succeed (Weimer, 2009).

We all know the factors that can threaten a positive classroom environment: problems that kids bring from home, lack of motivation among students whose love of learning has been drilled right out of them, pressures from testing, and more. We can’t control all these factors, but what if we could implement some simple strategies to buffer against their negative effects?

The good news is that we can. We can foster effective learning and transform the experience of our students every day by harnessing the power of emotions. If you’re already objecting that you don’t have time for that kind of thing, don’t worry: I’m not talking about holding a daily class meeting to talk about feelings. The strategies I offer in this publication can be easily integrated into your instruction. What’s more, they are not a luxury or a frill: we ignore the power of emotions at our peril. When we dismiss the effects both positive and negative that emotions have on learning, we make our jobs much harder for ourselves.