Well it was an interesting experience going through this process and it took collaboration to find some clarity. First of all I began the way I always begin, with a purpose and a rationale. Putting into practice my creative ideas and big plans are usually overwhelming for me and sometime they shut me down completely!! I knew I was on the wrong design track but I was not sure how to get off. I spoke with my 19 year old son and said HELP!! I know where I want to go but not how to get there. He sat down with me as said first of all `a web site is like a building , it has a way in different ways to get places, a variety of places to meet, some places are busy, other are quiet, people are always coming and going.
1: You need to think of your entry in and what you want your community to see first.
HOME PAGE: news feed for : website updates and Check These Books ; The home page is updated weekly by what has been updated with in the website. For example if volunteers are needed for an event, the call for volunteers would show on the home page as well as in it`s specified page for
VOLUNTEERS AND EVENTS – is where parents and student can go to check a calendar for events such as author visits, fundraising book fairs as well as parent volunteer schedules and student volunteer schedules.
CHECK THESE BOOKS, is a way for me to show the community books which students might be interested in looking at targeted at 2-3 levels of reading. I am not sure yet , but I am thinking 3 books K-2, 3-5, and 5-7. These books would link into a page called
MY LIBRARY- which has access to either Good Reads or Shelfari which would extend this “if you like this book, you may also like this`. My Library also offers the opportunity for students to set up their own bookshelf at home which allows for them to explore in a su- page My World Library
THE GALLERY – is where the viewer can go to see videos or pictures of past events. We need an archive the great we are doing collaboratively in our Global Learner Workshops, Environmental Club and Cooperative teaching Units.

In the process of developing a window into the Montroyal Library, I must address the question; Who are the participants of this website.
My goal in the development of this site is to engage the community and transform the library into a learning commons which supports inquiry, lifelong learning, collaboration, literacy and leadership. By creating this site to be a living and constantly morphing space, my goal is to open the doors to
Parents: Parents want to be connected to their children`s learning. In the primary years there are opportunities to be in the classroom but as kids get older there is a bigger disconnect with the classroom. Parents can look into the library site to see what kids are reading, what reading is recommended, how they can support their child`s learning by accessing links to educational websites,how they can contribute to the library as a learning centre.
Students: Students don`t have the freedom to access the library on a regular basis. Most students will be in the library once a week for as little as 20 minutes. Due to financial constraints on school districts we are faced with diminishing library hours which are fighting for time against fine art programs. There is no winner in this fight. Students will be able to access the library site from their classroom computers. Now that all classroom teachers have smart boards I can access the entire school . Students will be able to engage in the library in a multitude of ways. They can see what is in the library, such as featured books each week, create their own virtual bookshelf ( a trophy case of the books they`ve read), make recommendations to other students and the librarians ( a sense of ownership ),see what other students are learning through the gallery, and have opportunities for leadership ( adopt a shelf ) .
Teachers and Support Staff: I would like teachers to be able to have easier access to books and websites which support their teaching, connect their students to the library via their smartboards, dictionary, national geographic, maps, gallery, …The list is endless.
Administration – Administrators can see how people are moving in this learning environment, and perhaps be able to answer how students are inquiring, communicating, demonstrating leadership, citizenship and developing their literacy.
My hope is that this virtual window into the learning centre of the school will bring value to all members of our school community and their experience of lifelong learning.