Animation

When trying make a suitable application we needed good personas, a target group that were on the school and had nothing to do during their break. In the animation a school friend suddenly enters and talks about the “new cool place called a library”, all kids goes there and falls in love with the place. This helped us a lot and made the application easier to produce because we had “real” persones in mind when implemented new functions in the program.

The link to the animation: http://goanimate.com/videos/08-j4hB5_wTw/1

Tablet App - Final Design Proposal

- Added two new screens (Similar books)
- Made some minor changes in all menus

Remaining problems

Remaining problems from Mid crit.


1. Funding: how much can we spend?

Children are a worthwhile “investment”. Children’s libraries need a budget to maintain and improve the quality of materials and services offered to the public.

Standard budgets can be supplemented with outside sources of funding, such as:

government grants (for special programs and new initiatives) 

cultural organisations (for music, dance, drama, arts, historical and ethnic presentations) 

publishers (for visits by authors or illustrators and for other give-aways) 

sponsorship (local businesses and volunteer organisations to support specific events) 

non-governmental agencies 

matching funds. 

2. Architecture: can we really redesign the building itself?

Ideally, the library for pupils should be centrally located. it would be better to have designed space for reading area as well. However, according to teachers in our target school, we have a limitation of space and it might be impossible to expand the room or take a larger room for the library. So creativity of designing the reading space can go a long way. For example, furniture such as knock-down furniture that can be composed freely to make relatively closed space, as well as create novelty of the surroundings.

3. Changing just the library may not solve many problems, as it is the part of the whole educational ecosystem: maybe the whole system should be redesigned as well?

Keep children reading in the library

Our target audience for the school library is pupils in Vinstaskolan primary school. According to our targe school, the most significant problem is that children dislike the school library and even reading. This is probably a common problem for a lot of primary school libraries. 

The goal of our project is to design a mediated library for pupils in school which is supposed to be attractive and children-friendly, thus to attract and keep children reading by providing technologies in this library. We recommend that the library should improve its materials, spaces and services in order to be appealing to children through meeting children’s reading needs. 

Children say that the most important reason why they do not like reading in school libraries is that they cannot find books they like. ①Therefore we believe that the scale of reading resources for children and freedom of choosing books they really like could make them motivated to read and feel less uncomfortable in a school library. Whatever kind of a book would be great such as fantastic fictions, manga, comics, sport magazines, etc. as long as children are reading. As well as whatever kind of medium or surface would be no problem like smartphones, laptops and tablets can be use to keep children reading.

Materials

The reading landscape in the 21st century stretches far beyond the boundary of physical printed books. We are surrounded by multiple literacies, from reading online to participating in virtual classrooms, and, as such, our notion of traditional literacy has expanded. While reading, writing, arithmetic skills are still the basics for children.

Scholastic’s 2008 Kids & Family Reading Report studied the factors shaping children’s relationships with reading in the 21st century. Among their findings:

*After age eight, more children go online daily than read books for fun daily.

*Kids between the ages of five and 17 are not about to give up on printed books.

*Three-quarters of kids of all ages agree that “no matter what I can do online, I’ll always want to read books printed on paper. ②

Thus the library should include a variety of developmentally appropriate materials in all formats for children to choose, especially internet-connected devices. We propose that using both the hardware and software to display and interface with digital text. Hardware includes devices, such as e-readers and tablets, as well as smartphones, laptops, and even desktop computers, that display digital text. Software includes a range of applications and programs that allow readers to interact with the text, either locally on the device or over a network; it may or may not include instructional features.

We propose the library to provide materials like:

*Printed materials: books, periodicals, comics, brochures.

*Media: CDs, DVDs in order to provide children with audio books.

*Toys

*Learning games

*Digital readers: interactive furniture, tablet, etc. 

In the first place, the materiality of the average book is far more important to a child than an adult. Adults don't much mind if they get their 80,000 words of continuous prose on a screen or a printed page but digital readers for children should have the screen-space that lets text and illustration breathe together but it has not been cared so much yet. On the other hand, new technology can deliver excitements to children that paper can't: a book with moving pictures, or pictures that talk to readers when they press them, or–for older children, learning to read – a book that allows them to touch a tricky word and hear it read aloud.

*Software: 

Navigation application

Recording application: A software that lets readers record themselves reading a story, as if they were the actual character, is a fun and interactive way to engage young minds. For instance, children can hear their friend’s voice when reading the book as one role in the book and they can record their voice as another role to interact with friends. It captures a child’s attention and encourages a connection to the story and the reader. There are proven tips to get children to read by taking turns reading aloud. ③

*Connectivity: 

The internet connection can make children connected with both books as well as other readers. For instance, each child has his/her own account in the school library which records his/her reading list and progress in the book. They can share their lists with friends and also follow their friends’ reading progress. Keeping in touch with each other they know can also make reading not a boring lonely work but an interesting sharing activity with friends and classmates, which might motivate children to read more and expand their reading fields and interests. 

Meanwhile, using the Internet could leverage a positive reading experience for children. Encourage kids to extend the reading experience online in order to fuel a positive reading experience and enhance their connection to the book. For example, visit an author’s website and let the children get immersed in the content related to their favorite books. They can sample new reads or share reviews with other fans and maybe find an author’s podcast about how the story idea was born.

We believe that technology can make children reading in the library. It helps young readers interact and connect with what they are reading, which is key to engaging a reader. The varieties of visual and audible forms help children access the content in different ways rather than just through pictures and text. This helps them stay in the game of reading, especially for boys who thrive on visual language. While it will always be hard to beat the loving interaction between a parent and child reading a book together, the variety that technology offers in the reading experience may help kids understand that reading matters more than ever. 

Space

A libraries with open, inviting, challenging and non-threatening environment is obviously attractive to children to visit and stay.

Distinct from other parts of the school. We propose that both open and relatively small separate space are needed in the library. Thus pupils could choose their own prefer space when reading. for example, knock-down or furniture can be composed freely to make relatively closed space, as well as create novelty of the surroundings.

Furniture: safe, sturdy, good quality, suppor equality of access, flexibility, remember tastes change, shelving. 

Services

The library should meet the information, cultural and entertainment needs:

1. (Navigation application?) Offering information and reference services to help children select materials: As mentioned before, Children say that the most important reason why they do not like reading in school libraries is that they cannot find books they like. The best way to get kids reading more is to give them books that they'll gobble up -- and that will make them ask for another. The aesthetic appreciation many adults have for books doesn't come as naturally to young children. So letting children find and pick what they really like is important in the library. 

2. involving children in the selection of materials and development of library services.

3. Motivating activities: 

*Kimber Brown, a program director for Teach for America, says the incentive to read is different for every child. "For anyone to be motivated to do anything, they have to believe two things: (1) They have to believe they can do it, and (2) they have to want to do it". ④Some kids may be motivated by a sticker on the chart, while others may need the promise of a more tangible prize, like a trip to the community pool or zoo, to catch their attention. We believe that in the mediated library where children's reading information in the library can be chosen by their own to show to their parents through the Internet through which they may get rewarding from that.

*Devote one period a day to kids -- and their teachers -- doing nothing but reading, and mostly reading what they want to. 

*Create a library of student-published and student-illustrated books. Kids love books written by their peers. As fan fiction has explored mostly by children and young teenagers, it is an encouraging example of the way creative reading and creative writing can become the centre of an online community. Offering a model of children involvement in reading and writing.

*Give children library cards and digital library account. Not only will they feel more grown up, but they'll feel a sense of accomplishment and possession over their reading abilities.

4. Creative programming and storytelling

5. Memory bank: All children learn to read at a different pace. Instead of asking them to finish a certain number of pages, using the memory bank to record and set aside a chunk of time during which they should read. If it's a race to the finish, nobody wins.

According to the the fourth edition of the Kids & Family Reading Report, technology could increase reading among children. For example, about one-fourth of the boys who had read an e-book said they were reading more books for fun. Boys have traditionally lagged behind girls in reading. Also, half of those in an older age range, from 9 to 17, said they would read more books for fun if they had greater access to e-books. Children said e-books were particularly good when they wanted to be secretive about reading. ⑤ As a mediated library with interactive technology and reading programs, it probably could keep young readers reading in the library as well as motivating non-readers to start reading.

Reference:

①http://edition.cnn.com/2011/09/28/opinion/patterson-kids-reading

②http://www.parentscanada.com/school/using-technology-to-make-reading-fun

③http://www.greatschools.org/students/homework-help/120-tested-tips-to-get-kids-reading.gs

④http://www.oprah.com/oprahsbookclub/_74

⑤http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/press-release/new-study-kids-reading-digital-age-number-kids-reading-ebooks-has-nearly-doubled-2010

Tablet App!

 Hope you will like it! Of course, we can still modify the design if we will find it necessary :)

If you'd like to make any changes, feel free to do so! You can download the PSD file (Photoshop) here: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/13997175/LibraryApp.zip

EDIT: Added the suggested questions.

EDIT #2: Another update!  Added [x]/close button.

Navigation Program:

SLOGAN ~ What would you like to read? ~

"HELPER" IMAGE The Lion


STARTING PAGE 

- "Helper" image: options to show/hide the helper
- Additional basic buttons: Back, Forth, to the start, ask for teacher's help

- textual advice/instruction: to type the text into the search box OR to choose the button with the theme: each button looks like a logo with the special color - being a symbol of a particular literature Genre: sci-fi, humour, adventure, scary stories, magic, nature, school books etc.

- separate listing of options: to search using Name, Title, Hero's name, key words, "MustRead at the age of 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12"

Visual design: buttons, "Helper", search box


 SEARCH RESULT PAGE - 1st STEP - LIST OF BOOKS 

After the rubric is chosen/search text is entered, the Offering least appears:
- Horizontal scrolling
- variants are segmented and separated with colors and logos according to the genre
- Preview picture of books with the short descriptions of stories

SEARCH RESULT PAGE - 2nd STEP - THE BOOK 
Book cover, teaser, picture gallery, Options: "book", "download"

+
After one has downloaded the book, the commentary appears: "Thank you! This book is like another cool one, "***", and we have it!"

P.S.
various buttons, rephotoshopable

Application prototype

Guys, that's what I know how to do.
I can do an application for the Library Search Engine.
I can create the design and visual & textual description of its basic functions. If you are OK with this idea, I will post the drafts of each slide here, and we'll discuss/edit them.

Early thoughts about our final presentation

Good job in todays mid-crit group!

If our goal is to create a new "dream library" with a futuristic touch an idea of our presentation is:

To start by making a animation where the film explains what we aim to do and try to explain a typical situation. For example: a group of kids who stand and talk when suddenly a new guy enters who convinces the group of going to the library (which doesn't happen in any school today). There they are met by lots of other children in an awesome location and setting, they then gets welcomed and shown around by our siri-librarian who will maximize their fun. It is pretty easy to create and will appear really advanced, it's posible to do on "www.goanimate.com", and i've used tools like this before so it will be no problems. When that is done, I think we should describe what we  have created (maybe if we film a couple of kids when they have fun in a room we've designed for the day). After that part we have  shown what we want and the setting, last part is the tools. To actually design and program finished apps is hard, so i suggest that we decide what kind of techniques we want and try to visualize that in a good maner.

Obviously it's still early to make our final decisions about our presentation now, but it good that we start talking about it, and what we want to do. Finally we need to be able to answer the question we couldn't today What will make the students read? 

Library environment: A digital reading garden for children

A reading garden can be a really great place for pupils to escape the classroom and refresh, which might make pupils feel more like enjoy the time in the library and reading. As for our target school, the space and resources is limited to build a real garden, but for a mediated library, using digital screens to display and simulate any kinds of environment they want as an alternative might be a much better solution. 

An interactive wall&floor to simulate different natural scenery that might improve the reading experience. 

The interactive displays that are for children to explore and investigate. They are supposed to be child-height. Except displaying natural sceneries, the interactive wall&floor could also allow children to draw their own story and tell it to their practitioners or their friends. The library could also provide children with symbols or pictures to stick on to the board to help them to create a story. 

Library environment: reading spaces for children

Ideally, a library for pupil should be centrally located and a designated (single-use) space.  This is not possible for our target school, but it can be created through the imaginative use of the singel room. The library of Vinstaskolan school has a limitation of space, thus a little bit of creativity and vision can go a very long way. 

Above all, the library should be exciting and feel different from the classroom. 

Informal and comfortable reading spaces

Pupil involvement can be achieve by creating an informal reading space which is differ from study space with normal desks and chairs. An informal reading space is supposed to have comfortable furniture in reading area, such as tiny sofa, cushions, beanbag seats, colourful mats or comfy chairs ans so on. Different lighting such as lava lamps or fairy lights can also be use to create an exciting atmosphere in corners or little nooks for children.

We propose that both open and relatively small separate space are needed for the library. Pupils can choose their own preference space when reading.

Reference: 

National Literacy Trust “Reading Environment”

E-books and Print Books Can Coexist for libraries

The most valuable thing in the library; the librarian

I've listen to David Lankes, who discusses technology in the library and the role as a librarian. I agree with Lankes about the importance of a good librarian and see cool visions in my head where every costumer will get the full librarian experience. If Iphones today have a working siri, our futuristic vision can have lots of librarians in a more advances siri-function-way.

The best thing in my opinion is to use all of our ideas posted on this blog, combine them and start build our future-dream-library.

Intelligent Furniture

One of the design principles that could be applicable in the libraries of the future could be associated with the implementation of “intelligent furniture”.

In practice, this means that ordinary elements of the rooms, such as the walls or tables, could become the interactive surfaces similar to contemporary tablets, but with a significantly bigger screens, tailored to be accessed by multiple users at the same time.

Such solutions are, in fact, available even today. To provide the examples:

1) Samsung SU40 with Microsoft PixelSense (previously known as the Microsoft Surface)

Samsung SU40. Source: http://www.mymultitouch.de

 

More info: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/pixelsense/whatissurface.aspx

2) Mozayo Multi-Touch Table(s)

More info: http://www.mozayo.com

3) MyMULTITOUCH Walls and Tables

MyMULTITOUCH Interactive Wall. Source: http://www.multi-touch-screen.co/multiuser-multitouch-video-wall

MyMULTITOUCH Interactive Wall. Source: http://www.multi-touch-screen.co/multiuser-multitouch-video-wall

MyMULTITOUCH Interactive Table. Source: http://www.multi-touch-screen.co/multitouch-table/ideum-mt55-multitouch-table/

More info: http://www.multi-touch-screen.co

I strongly believe that such devices could be successfully used in the libraries of the future, as they promote collaboration and could make the learning process more fun. What is more, as the future libraries from numerous perspectives could be regarded rather as the places for the proper team work, instead of the mere repositories of the books, I strongly believe that one could find some interesting applications for those devices. Personally, I think it would be pretty cool to have the regular tables, which at any point can be turned into proper multi-touch tablets.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure children would love them too!

Interactive tablet at Early Years Nursery School. Source:http://www.earlyyearsnurseryschool.com/2011/08/children-get-interactive-with-our-new-touch-screen-tablet/

P.S. On the cool NAME for us...

( As I won't have any more ideas, no more posts from me, I promise :) ),

I think it's VERY important to remember that we work with children, kinda creating their own place. It's not a grown-up, KTH-style thing. It's children, imagination, rules, the process of establishing etc.

That's why I almost insist on calling us the Veldt. It means 'grass savannah in South Africa', and also the most globally well-known Ray Bradbury's story, symbol of the digital world kept in children hands.

Waiting for the Bart's part of description of the Amazing Digital Surface, I'd like to remind you the story. Maybe we can use bits of these graphics in our presentation! :)

My bit. Some sort of introduction..

I have some thoughts that could be useful (oh, I hope!) for the introduction and overall idea of how the library of the future should look like.

1) 3 Rules of any Media:
Persuade - real books are important as a part of culture. Real books must stay.
Inform - teachers must tell kids which books are good for them, that reading is a good thing. PR books!
Entertain - create connection with things that kids like. Cartoons, gadgets, Mcdonalds, why not.

2) The environment must be comfortable:
 - Separated cosy armchairs which one can move closer to each other or move aside to the corner;
 - No tables;
 - Various big cache-pots with plants (kids can sort of hide behind);
 - Replace the office lighting with home-like lamps;
 - Cover the floor with the carpet (more safe, cosy, quiet).

3) Real books have its value. There must be some actual books in the library, about 100 items of a perfect quality, with pictures, pleasant to take in hands, important for the culture. The teacher should increase the interest to these books as a treasure because of its print, picture, content quality and importance.

4) Gadgets are cool. Kids can use tablets that are fixed on the cables in the arms of the armchairs. There should be a special program developed specially for the kids library, with an easy access and navigation.

5) Navigation Program: What do you like? We have a clue!
Search system using:
- Name, Title, Genre, "Similar to", key words, "MustRead at the age of 6, 7, 8, 9 etc";
- Funny pictures, nice calligraphy (hello mr. Jobs)
Key words can appear as "tips", or can be entered manually. When one downloads the book, the commentary appears: "This book is like another cool one, "***", and we have it!"

6) Connection with media events: Put a poster on the library window, announcing: "New Twilight movie is out - we have more vampire books!" Some popular cartoons are on TV, that means there must be some comics, colouring books, books of this story type, etc. Put a poster on the window, announcing "The theme of the month!" (Happy Meal's analogue)

The task

Just to remind us the idea:


The project task is to design a presence, or presence related, situation with relevance for a mediated library. It may combine spacial, technical and conceptual design. It can be a large concept or a detail. 


Written report
The written report shall contain a description of your process and lessons learned. Typically 5-10 pages.

This is our group diary/log book.

This is our school:
Vinstaskolan (Groups 3-4) Headmaster Ann-Kristin Eklöf ann-kristin.eklof@stockholm.se

This is our target audience:

Libraries in pictures.

Libraries.

Libraries of the past:

Libraries of our times:

Libraries of the future?