Note. And she finished #FangirlTheManga just as we were closing [Photograph], by albanyhighlibrary, 2023, September 29, Instagram. (https://www.instagram.com/p/CxwSCZasRMt)

 

In the article entitled, “Libraries as Wellbeing Supportive Spaces in Contemporary Schools” by Dr. Margaret K. Merga which appears in the 2021 addition of the Journal of Library Administration, Dr. Merga talks about how school libraries are and have become more than just a place to get books, but there have not been any studies done for the school library environment prior to this article. Through research with students (ages 9-15 years old) and school librarians/library managers at three Western Australia Primary and Secondary schools, she explores how today’s students use the school library as a safe place community outside the hectic world that a school can be and how this contributed to the mental health and well-being of students (Merga, 2021, p. 660-662).

 

The two-research question Merga’s study focused on were:

1. What are the library use patterns of avid student users? 2. Why do avid student users make use of the library, and how does this relate to the library as a safe space? (Merga, 2021, p. 660)

 

The research found that all students thought of the school library was a “safe space” and many felt they could come to the library for “pastoral care” (unofficial counseling) from the staff (Merga, 2021, p. 665). The main reasons students spent time in the library were varied: “for quiet socializing and game playing (traditional games such as card or board games), schoolwork, accessing technology, [Reading for pleasure (RfP)] and related borrowing, makerspace activities, seeking respite from unfavorable weather conditions, and drawing” (Merga, 2021, p. 663). In addition to these activities, students said that the overall environment (the comfortable furniture, artwork on the walls, the layout of the room, and the staff) was an additional incentive (Merga, 2021).

 

No matter the reason each student visited the school library, they all were ultimately there to escape the rigors of the school world and feel better from the stressors of their environment.  Be it to have a quiet spot by themselves, to play computer games with their friends, talk out their worries with a school librarian, or explore a makerspace—all the kids felt strongly that the school library was a community they could be a part of and be accepted and safe.

 

The feeling of wanting to be liked, accepted, and belonging are a tale as old as time. Everyone, everywhere wants this in some form or other. The school library gives outlier students an alternate opportunity to find this and build a community with like-minded peers and teachers/librarians. This study and article reemphasize this importance in the community that makes up the school library.

 

Meet the Author…

Dr. Margaret K. Merga is a researcher who also works as a Lead Consultant with the company Merga Consulting and is an Honorary Adjunct at The University of Newcastle. Previously she was a Senior Lecturer at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. She is self-described on her LinkedIn page as being “an international expert in literacy, libraries and research methods and communications” (Dr Margaret Merga | LinkedIn, n.d.). Her research is mainly in early childhood education and literacy. She has many published peer reviewed academic journal articles as well as multiple books. She has acted as a consultant to many school, government, and professional groups (Dr Margaret Merga | LinkedIn, n.d.; Margaret K Merga: Australian Journal of Education, n.d.).  Much of Dr. Merga’s peer reviewed articles (and her books) are focused on School Libraries and their impact.

 

 

References

And she finished #FangirlTheManga just as we were closing (2023, September 29). albanyhighlibrary on Instagram. Retrieved October 4, 2023, from https://www.instagram.com/p/CxwSCZasRMt/

Dr Margaret Merga | LinkedIn. (n.d.). LinkedIn. Retrieved October 4, 2023, from https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-margaret-merga-2bb624251?originalSubdomain=au

Margaret K Merga: Australian Journal of Education (n.d.). Sage Journals. Retrieved October 4, 2023, from https://journals.sagepub.com/page/aed/collections/meet-our-authors/merga

Merga, M. K. (2021). Libraries as Wellbeing Supportive Spaces in Contemporary Schools. Journal of Library Administration, 61(6), 659–675. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2021.1947056