3‐D displays for libraries, schools and media centres

Citation

Duckett, B. (2001), "3‐D displays for libraries, schools and media centres", Library Review, Vol. 50 No. 5, pp. 259-259. https://doi.org/10.1108/lr.2001.50.5.259.6

Teachers and librarians use displays to attract attention, stimulate interest, and develop learning. This book describes 23 theme‐based three‐dimensional designs (“bulletin‐boards”) that have been found particularly successful.

Each design featured consists of three elements: a note of the materials needed to construct it (types of paper, thumb tacks, hole punch, dental floss or invisible string, etc.); how the display is to be constructed; and a list of extended learning activities. A photograph accompanies each display. The extended learning activities are a series of 20 or so instructional things children can do related to the display. In the one “Lift off with great books”, in which a balloon features, the 21 activities include finding information about the song by the pop group The Fifth Dimension, which features a balloon, by using the Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature; typing the words of the song on a computer; composing your own poem about a balloon; finding the book The Red Balloon using a search station; using a biographical dictionary to find information about the Montgolfier brothers, Ferdinand von Zeppelin, and others; and using books in the library to answer ten questions about balloons.

The 23 displays are grouped in six broad subject areas: reading; flight; women; world culture; the Harlem Renaissance; and apples(!). “The Harlem Renaissance unit resulted from a teacher’s frustration in trying to decide what to do with her reluctant learners”. It covers fashion, theatre, politics, economics and literature in the 1920s. I had trouble with apples. The displays originated from a folk character known as Johnny Appleseed and the titles are “Reading is a delicious choice”, “Reading is a‐peeling”, “Hand picked for your enjoyment”, and “Reading is a bushel of fun”.

On the credit side the authors have a strong feel for the curriculum and the need to develop information seeking skills. I found the DIY construction aspects rather too prescriptive and the black and white photographs poor. The extended learning activities were very US‐based and would have to be adapted to local circumstances and resources, but they are a strong point of the book. We are all often at our wits’ end to think of the next display, and this book would provide useful prompts. Overall, though, most children’s and school librarians would not learn much from this rather expensive little book.