Library Design
The Astor Center for Public School Libraries represents an important leverage point in New Visions’ efforts to help schools prepare students for college and careers. The school library, too often a neglected resource, has the potential to bring entire school communities together around the goal of giving students the information literacy skills to participate and succeed in the 21st century. A vibrant, modern library media center supports research in all content areas, provides access to technology, and offers materials to help students explore and pursue postsecondary opportunities. With the support of the Astor Fund for Public School Libraries, school libraries are becoming vibrant centers of learning for the schools in the New Visions network.
Library Media Centers for the 21st Century (LMC 21)
In 2006, the Astor Center at New Visions launched a powerful initiative, Library Media Centers for the 21st Century (LMC 21). The goal: to revitalize the libraries in New Visions’ public schools and ensure that robust and up-to-date resources are available on site to the small schools within large, often neglected campus facilities. Funding and support from the New York City Council and the Astor Fund for Public School Libraries made this work possible.
Focusing on 11 libraries in Brooklyn and the Bronx, New Visions gathered key stakeholders from each campus — librarians, principals, teachers, students, parents and community partners — to re-envision the media center as a hub of campuswide learning.
Libraries at four campuses have been completed and three are in renovation now. Among them:
The Wingate Campus in Brooklyn and the Columbus Campus in the Bronx
Wingate and Columbus completed construction and reopened their renovated libraries, which serve more than 5,000 students. The newly renovated spaces feature upgraded technology, modular furniture to allow for multiple seating and room arrangements, and an overall learning environment that is more welcoming and attractive.
The Prospect Heights Campus in Brooklyn
The Prospect Heights community successfully completed the design process for its library media center. Construction is now nearly complete. In addition, a grant from the Heckscher Foundation for Children has allowed Prospect Heights to develop strategies for a deeper integration of library resources and technology into the larger campus community.
The Evander Campus in the Bronx
The Evander community recently completed the library design process. It is preparing its library for renovation while integrating library programming into instruction at each school on the campus.
Promoting Literacy Through Providing Resources
For more than 10 years, Publishers Weekly and Scholastic Books have donated thousands of review copies of young adult books to the Astor Center at New Visions for distribution to schools and classrooms. Since 2006, the Astor Center at New Visions has distributed nearly 15,000 high-quality books to schools to support students at all reading levels. Teachers and librarians alike have commented on the impact of these resources:
“I cannot thank you enough for what you’ve done…. The books you sent are titles that interest my students and that are well written. Not only have you made this part of my job more fun, but you’ve provided a window of opportunity for some students who rarely or never read.… Now that we are building a classroom library, new things are possible for the students.”