Students reimagining school libraries as spaces of learning and wellbeing

School libraries are one of the few indoor spaces in a school where students from many year levels can interact with one another and engage in formal and informal learning. As such school libraries have the potential to contribute to the wellbeing of students across the whole school community. In 2009, the Australian Federal government announced the BER (Building the Educational Revolution) economic stimulus package in response to the global financial crisis. This included $14 billion for schools to build or upgrade school libraries or multipurpose halls to become Primary schools for the 21st century. This chapter draws on the perspectives of 44 student participants from 7 schools across Queensland who took part in an evaluation of their BER library spaces. Students were interviewed about their lived experiences in these new or refurbished library spaces, and were asked to draw their imagined ideal library spaces. The students valued peacefulness, comfort, connectedness to the outside world through natural and technological links, and adventure. The chapter concludes with an overview of the interactive, learner centered, inclusive and flexible spaces that were identified by students as extending their learning opportunities, and contributing to their sense of wellbeing