Building Knowledge-rich Environments for Youth

A World-wide Challenge for Schools and School Librarians

Abstract

This paper outlines the development of a digital school library intranet as an information-rich and technology-rich environment designed to provide a nurturing and safe environment for both students and teachers throughout the school and extending into the home. Emphasis is given to the creation of individualized views of the intranet by both students and teachers complete with academic, career/professional, and personal information spaces. Built upon this environment, the author proposes strategies designed to stimulate the rise of a knowledge-rich environment or learning community using concepts of collaboration, information literacy, user control, and the phenomenon of small world networks.