The concept of enchantment consists of three elements that together create a user experience that is delightful and leads to positive change. I’m interested in exploring this through school libraries. The three elements are likeability, trustworthiness and a great cause (product/ service). As we look to the future of school libraries in New Zealand, we know there are many opportunities and challenges to ensure that we are positioned to fully support learners and learning in schools in a way that is effective, and aligned to the goals of our schools. The three pillars of enchantment give us one way to approach the future.

image by rogercarr

Likeability

As we know and was reinforced recently at the SLANZA conference, working well with teachers is the key to achieving sustained positive impacts on learning. To work well with others (teachers and students) we need to be likeable and approachable. Joyce Valenza talks about the importance of fun in the library. Library users of all kinds have to want to work with us. “Default to yes!” Guy Kawasaki.

image by Sean MacEntee

Trustworthiness

Trust others and look for opportunities to support them in their goals. Library users may not know how the library can help them.  It is up to us to find out about users (and potential users) needs and goals. We can then look for ways to help them achieve these. We need to be pro-active, suggesting how we can help and then following through.

A great cause/ product/ service

Likeability and trustworthiness will build library use in the school, but these are predicated on excellence at the core of the service. We need to strive to continuously improve our service, reflecting on how everything we do in the library serves to support learning and literacy. We need to be bold and shed those tasks which are not supporting these aims and add those that support learning and teaching.

“Provide value: information, insights and assistance and, engage fast, many and often” Guy Kawasaki.

The Connected library is a place of Enchantment. The content and services of the library are trusted and trustworthy:

• The environment is welcoming and fun
• The staff are likeable
• The library products(resources, services) are excellent

Buffy Hamilton, the Unquiet Librarian has written some great posts about enchantment in the school library on her excellent blog.

Find out more about Enchantment and Guy Kawasaki.