A Learning Commons is a versatile and dynamic learning space that promotes collaboration, critical thinking and information literacy skills, aligning with the goals of 21st century learning.

Learning Commons activities tend to happen in the library (a physical location), but they can happen in your classroom. As a lifelong learner, the Learning Commons seeks to prepare you with the skills to be a media literate, digital citizen that connects with and contributes to our world in a positive way.

So why don’t we just say library? And can I still use that word?

Yes - you can say library. Libraries have been around for a long time and will endure! You might use the word library to refer to the physical space or the hub where books are kept. In the past, present and future, a library exists to help users find and use information - and information is not just in a physical (catalogable) form anymore. Increasingly, its in an open-source digital format, but it could also be experiential, even alive! In fact, there are a growing number of libraries that have no books. The way we use information is changing and libraries change too.

The words ‘Learning Commons’ signifies that we are adapting, working more collaboratively in a school or learning environment, serving the needs of the library users (you) and that we are actively seeking to meet those ever-changing needs in terms of the skills you will need to succeed in the 21st century.

At Lumen Christi, we discover and unpack the ideas, issues and skills that prepare us to process information in our lifetimes – in a fun, collaborative and meaningful way.