Sprucing Up the Academy

If you’re looking for a sign to decorate your library walls–here it is! By decorating its walls, you can change your library’s environment and how patrons interact with your library. The pictures shown here are of wall decorations intended to make their respective libraries more lively, engaging, and motivating spaces for students. There are two libraries shown in these pictures: a college library and an elementary school library. 

Follow along by flipping through the image galleries.

Decorating in an Academic Setting

I work in an academic library for a health sciences college. When I started my position as a library assistant, the library walls were blank. And when my friend started working in an elementary school library, she found herself in a similar situation with blank, empty-feeling walls. But there were quick, inexpensive ways to fix this! 

In the health sciences library, I often overhear students discussing ways to get into medical school or other graduate programs, as well as the people they know who have already done so. To support this curiosity, I provided information about health professionals and organizations in positive, artistic ways:

• First, I displayed health professionals’ information in conversation bubbles, and their pictures by study desks, so that it feels like these health professionals are sitting next to the students and talking to them as they study. 
• Second, I organized local health organizations’ basic information and pictures onto a map, so that students can see how large and immediate the health community is around them. There are so many different organizations close by, which made the map organization more exploratory. 

Inspiring Young Readers

My friend Melony included her students in the design of her library’s walls. The new walls have helped students get excited about reading! The intent behind her design is to provide:

• Positive, active ways to read! Exploratory actions like diving and flying are so fun to associate with reading 
• Student involvement in the library, by including students in its design 
• Bright color, in order to show that the library is a fun, vibrant place

Parting Thoughts

There is more in common between elementary school and college library decoration than I expected. From this, I was reminded that students of all ages benefit from positive learning experiences. Finding detailed drawings of scenes from “Avatar the Last Airbender” on the whiteboards reminded me that the library is a fun place, too! 

Here are the content and materials behind these decorations. The biggest surprise for me was how simple materials and ideas can lead to effective decorations that change the library’s atmosphere for the better. Here are the materials and content used for these libraries’ decorations. 

Decoration content: 

• Local health organizations 
• Health professionals and their experiences 
• Free & easily accessible events 
• Study materials for courses and exams 
• Books to read! 
• Exploratory activities (diving, flying)

Decoration materials and supplies: 

• Construction paper & regular paper 
• Markers 
• Laminator 
• Canva & Gimp (computer apps I use to design wall art) 
• Paint
• Paint brushes
• Tape (duct tape, regular Scotch tape) 

It doesn’t take much to get started. Making these decorations should be a cheerful, uplifting experience! Seeing my bright library makes me smile when I walk in. Our advice: find some extra, unused materials around you, use your creativity and get decorating! 

~Sadie

Follow Sadie’s adventures at her medical library on Instagram @cnulibrary!