Creating A Virtual & Visual Library Space

We create libraries that ignite creativity and curiosity; promote reading, collaboration and inquiry; and foster an amazing community that offers so much to our students, teachers and families while connecting to the world.

The virtual spaces we create are an essential piece of our libraries too.  They hold a special place within our library and school too.  

I love finding new ways to create these virtual library spaces.  One that I have been experimenting with is by using Buncee to create this space. Buncee is an online creation and presentation tool that allows us to easily express, create and share our ideas.  

By using Buncee and adding elements from your library, community and the world, a powerful virtual space can be created.   

To start this brainstorming and experimenting, my friend Kelly, who is a teacher librarian in Waukee, Iowa, sent me a photograph of her library.  I asked her to take it of the circulation desk because I thought it would be neat to make the desk and the things around the library come to life by embedding things within the photograph using Buncee.  

First, I uploaded the photograph into Buncee.

Then I started adding different Media Types.

I took a picture of their Follett Destiny homepage and added it to the computer on the circulation desk. I added a little label of a purple rectangle with text over the top.

I linked this image directly to their Destiny.

Below the circulation computer, there is a poster of the Iowa AEA Online resources.

When they click on it, it will take them right to the website where they find all of the state online resources such as TeachingBooks.net.

On the top of the desk, Kelly has several different bookmarks for the Iowa Book Awards.

When they click on the poster for the Iowa Teen Award, it will go to the specifics of that award on the Iowa Association of School Librarians website. 

 We wanted to add a few community elements to the Buncee too.

The Waukee Public Library is an important part of their community, so I uploaded a photo of the library and added a window sticker over the top.

When they click on this....

...it will take them to the Waukee Public Library site.

I can't wait to see the other elements Kelly adds to her Buncee to truly make her library come to life online too.

My friend Elaine, who is a K-8 teacher librarian in Largo, Florida, created this awesome Buncee after I shared my idea with her too.  I love all of the different things she added to her Buncee.

She added links for the library and school including Destiny, like Kelly did, along with websites, book awards, Florida Electronic Library and Library of Congress.

Her students will love this virtual space and will be able to connect at school, home and anywhere they are online.  This will also be very helpful to teachers, families and others wanting to connect to the library too.

When are creating your own, you can upload photographs of your library for the background or...

add one of several background that Meagan at Buncee created for us to use.

You will find these two and several others under Libraries in the Backgrounds category within Buncee.

As you start building your library space in Buncee, you will find so many fun assets to use and make your library come to life online.

Our virtual library made a difference and impact on our students and community.  It kept us connected to the library resources, to each other and to the world.

I can't wait to see the space you create to make a difference too.