I had the chance to think about how librarians interact with the environment in which people learn. I guess a library is a 'learning environment' in lots of ways. For example we ordered the fixtures and fitting, the seats tables and display boards that make a physical environment. We can help set the social environment by creating a friendly or forbidding atmosphere. It is all do easy to achieve one or other of these entirely unconsciously. We also provide the tools in the way of OPACs, web sites and authentication systems that variously assist or hinder learning.
It strikes me that another, possibly unconscious, way in which we influence the learning environment is the way we model learning behaviour to others.
This might be seen in the way we welcome or reject new ideas. Or share bookmarks through services like del.icio.us. Often though the way librarians learn is invisible as we do not choose to share the learning process with others. What if we did share the way we learn with others? Would they be able to learn from our experience as learners?
